Complicated
by Judy1998
Summary: Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen have been best friends ever since they could remember. To her, he was nothing more than a friend. To him, she was always someone more special. Unaware, Bella introduces her new friend to Edward...and ends up tangled in a love triangle. Will she choose to protect her new friendship? Or will she finally realize her true feelings for her best friend?
1. Chapter 1: Teasing

**Author's Note: Hello, my lovely fans! So here I am with my sixth story… Introducing…_ Complicated!_Tada! Enjoy the first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 1**

**Bella's Point of View**

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! You come back here this instant!" I placed my hands on my hips, looking indignant, though my brown eyes told him otherwise. Though I was desperate to have my textbook back, I could never really be angry with my best friend.

"Come and get it," Edward taunted. He was ten feet away from me now, holding up my book high in the air, and grinning mischievously. His beautiful green eyes that made girls swoon sparkled, and his tall, lanky figure was tensed, ready to escape me at a moment's notice.

I sighed halfheartedly, trying to fight a laugh myself. "Come on, Edward. We shouldn't be late for Biology."

Edward laughed. "Exactly. So come and get it!"

I glanced up and down the hallway. Students were staring at us – some with curious expressions, some with knowing, small grins upon their faces – and dodged quickly out of the way in case I decided to be clumsy again and trip over them.

While Edward was the most popular guy in the school, I was just a normal girl that hung out with the popular jocks because I was his best friend. I didn't like the attention and would much rather sit in the library alone, but he always insisted.

Though he was handsome, intelligent, and multi-talented, he didn't act like it. Being the quarterback of the football team and coming from a rich family didn't matter to him either. He was modest and kind. He craved for an equal place in society, next to me.

Edward and I had been best friends ever since I could remember. Our parents were friends, and his siblings, Alice and Emmett, were close with me as well. We had all went to school together, and we were inseparable.

"Stop acting like a child, Edward," I chided as I walked forward slowly. He walked backward, facing me, still wearing that playful smirk on his ridiculously handsome face. "Act like a proper seventeen-year old that you are. What would Esme say if she saw how you were acting right now?"

Esme, Edward's mother, and my mother, Renee, were all about courtesy and politeness. Manners. They were always proper, and therefore, we had all been brought up with the best education, school-wise _and_ at home.

Edward's amusement of teasing me didn't disappear. "You won't tell her. You'd never tell on me, Bella. I know you." He winked.

Normally, it would make all the girls in this school swoon, but I was used to it. I hardly ever did.

"It won't work on me, so you might as well stop with the seductive faces," I said, making a face. "Give it back to me. We're going to be late."

He laughed again. "Right. I can talk Mr. Banner out of marking us tardy. You know that."

"Yeah, by bribing him," I said dryly.

He pouted. "Humor me, Bella."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on. Everyone's staring." I grinned sheepishly at a couple that had just passed us, smiling knowingly.

The whole school knew about our relationship. Most people thought we were dating, but our friends knew better. _I _certainly knew better. I wasn't going to risk my life, trying to catch Edward's attention and getting on the popular girls' bad sides.

"Don't mind us," Edward called to the passing students. "Just having a bit of fun."

The students laughed, and one of them called, "Go get him, Bella! Whoo!"

I shook my head. I knew his voice anywhere. "Go to class, Emmett!"

His familiar booming laughter filled the noisy hallway, and we continued on the other way, him walking backward, and me facing him.

"Please, Edward?" I pleaded. "Let's not cause any trouble in Bio today. It was embarrassing yesterday. You know how much I hate attention."

"I was just having a bit of fun," Edward countered. "It's not my fault you're so clumsy that I had to catch you in front of the whole class."

I crossed my arms and frowned. "It is so not my fault. If you hadn't stolen my backpack and made me chase after you, I wouldn't have tripped."

"Ha! That's a good one," he snorted. "Bella, you can trip on flat ground."

The hallway was almost clear; most students had gone inside. A few late students hurried past us. The bell rang.

I groaned. "We're late! Edward!" I gave up and ran after him.

As if he was waiting for that, he whirled around and ran away. Laughing jubilantly. I just knew I was going to trip.

"Edward!"

He reached our classroom and opened the door for me. I glared at him and jerked my book away from him. He merely grinned, gesturing me to go inside.

I stopped dead when I saw Mr. Banner and the entire class staring at us. I felt the blush creep up to my face, and I pushed Edward in front of me, obscuring me from everyone's view.

Edward smirked before saying, "Sorry, Mr. Banner. Won't happen again."

"Perhaps you can stop stealing Miss Swan's belongings, and you'll both be on time, Mr. Cullen," Mr. Banner chided him, though his eyes sparkled.

"But that's the best part of my life, Mr. Banner!" Edward looked genuinely shocked, and his tone was so matter-of-fact that everyone laughed. I didn't know if he was acting or telling the truth. "I would be bored to death if I didn't tease her!"

I punched his back lightly. "Shut up," I mumbled.

Mr. Banner chuckled. "Alright, then. Shall I rephrase? Just don't steal her belongings before fifth period begins. Perhaps after school."

"Sure, Mr. Banner," Edward said easily, pulling me by my wrist to our table in the way back.

The teacher began his lecture on mitosis while we sat down.

"I hate you," I muttered. "You embarrassed me again."

Edward laughed silently. "Just be thankful I didn't have to catch you in front of the whole class again."

I ignored him stonily, taking notes carefully. Soon, it was not just an act of ignoring him. I really became immersed in Banner's lecture, and I listened to his facts eagerly, intrigued.

Beside me, Edward just seemed bored as he doodled on his folder when he wasn't taking notes. Occasionally, he would glance at me for a few seconds, smile crookedly, and look back down at his paper, amused.

"Was it really that interesting?" he asked when the bell rang. "Because I don't find any of that fascinating at all. What a load of worthless information. As if they'd ask us a question on the subject of mitosis in job interviews."

"You'd better start paying attention to the lectures," I warned him sternly as we walked outside into the hallway. "We have a test on mitosis on Friday. And I'm not sure I'm going to help you study for it either."

"What?" Edward's eyes widened mockingly. "You can't do that to me, Bella! How will I pass without you?"

I rolled my eyes. "You don't even need my help. You're smarter than I am."

"Wrong," he disagreed, taking my book from me gently and holding it for me. "How do you think I was able to maintain my good grades up until now? And what with football the past three years, you're the reason I'm still regarded as an intelligent person in this small school."

I laughed softly. "Well, at least you know." I nudged him playfully.

He grinned. "You're my life saver. What would I do without you, Bella?"

"You'd be dead by now," I answered. "Were you even listening to his lecture?"

"Of course not," Edward said innocently. "I was staring at you, didn't you notice?"

I didn't take his flattery seriously. He always said them to me. "I noticed. But I thought you were taking notes. I was getting excited that you wouldn't need to borrow anything from me today."

"I took notes, but I didn't get anything he said," he said, still pretending. "Will you teach me tonight?" He smiled at me angelically.

"What are the four phases of mitosis?" I shot at him abruptly.

"Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telo-" He stopped himself and grimaced at me. "Meanie."

I grinned. "Of course you don't know, Edward. But why is it that you just can't resist answering a question on the subject that you supposedly don't understand?"

Edward sighed. "See what I mean? You're too smart for me. You're still teaching me tonight. Don't back out of it, _Isabella_." He pronounced my full name, knowing I hated it.

"Whatever you say," I said casually. "I just need to avoid Alice after school; she claimed that she was going to take me shopping. Will you cover for me?"

"And why should I do that?" Edward asked slyly. "What's in it for me?"

"I'm your best friend!"

"That's different," he said. "What's in it for me?"

"What can I give you that you don't already have?" I asked sarcastically. "You're the rich one."

He fought back a smile. "Will you come to the football game on Friday?"

"That's what you want?" I asked, surprised. "That's a bit of a waste, isn't it?"

"No," he grumbled. "You never come to cheer me on."

"That's what the hot cheerleaders are for," I said.

"_No_, that's what my friend Isabella is for," Edward said. "Besides, you're much prettier than any of them." He smiled at me.

I didn't believe that. "As if."

"I'm serious, Bella."

"Sure, sure… Do you think I would even _consider_ believing that for even one second?"

"You just don't see yourself clearly, do you?" Edward asked regretfully, shaking his head. "Just ask any of the guys in our group. They'll tell you."

"Only because they're afraid that you'll beat them to death," I muttered under my breath.

"I'm not a bully," Edward said. "Fine. Ask Emmett or Jasper. Or both. They've known us for years; they won't be afraid to tell you the truth."

We reached the girls' locker room. I had Gym while Edward had sixth period football training. He handed my book to me.

I took it, and looked up at him. He towered over me by at least ten inches. "Fine. I'll ask them tonight." I turned to go inside.

He grabbed my wrist and swung me back around. "And you'll come to the game?"

I sighed. "Do I have to?"

His eyes narrowed. "I'm selling you out to Alice."

"Then I won't be able to tutor you on mitosis," I countered back without missing a beat.

He knew he was cornered. He never needed to be tutored, but he just liked to spend time with me. And I knew it.

He made a face. "Come on, Bella. Be nice." His eyes smoldered, and he knew when he did that, I wasn't able to resist.

"Fine," I said, looking away. "Just cover for me."

"You promise?" He perked up.

"I can't promise."

"Why not?" he whined loudly, causing the girls that were arriving to glance at us and giggle with their friends. They all had crushes on Edward.

"Leave," I said, punching his hard stomach lightly. "You're going to be late, and you know your coach hates that."

"I won't leave unless you tell me why or promise me."

He was so stubborn. "Rosalie told me to leave that day free this week. She wants to take Alice and me someplace."

Edward frowned slightly, confused. "Rosalie told you to…?" His expression cleared, and he looked smug. "Fine. Go with Rosalie."

I blinked. "Really? What made you give up so easily?"

He smirked as he walked away backwards. "I always get what I want, Bella."

"And?"

"And you're coming to that game on Friday, whether you like it or not." He turned around and walked away, waving without looking back.

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I called, "Does that mean you're covering for me later?"

"Okay!" he yelled. He glanced at his watch, cursed under his breath, and jogged out of sight.

Relieved, I felt much better as I entered the locker room. At least I didn't have to dread that shopping spree later with Alice.

Though he could be a handful and annoying at times, I was glad Edward was my friend. It was useful to have him around, especially since his sister was my other friend. A friend who loved to shop and make me tired.

I groaned when I found out that Coach Clapp was making us start volleyball. I smelled trouble already.

It was going to be a long month when it came to Gym class.

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**AN: **_**Just**_** in Gym class, do you think? Hee-hee. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Just a little info chapter, and you know how it gets. Sort of boring. Still, bear with me, as usual, and you'll enjoy it, I promise. **

**Reviews, please! Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2: What-if

**Author's Note: I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who read this new story on the first day. Thank you all for you reviews. It means so much to me. Keep supporting me, please! ;) And enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 2**

Fifty-five minutes later, I walked out of the girls' locker room, wincing as I touched my head gently. I'd bumped into one of my teammates earlier as I tripped over my own shoelaces.

I was developing a bad headache. It hurt like crazy. I reached my locker without further embarrassing moments. I twirled the dial quickly and opened it.

I exchanged my books and binders to the ones I needed for homework tonight. I closed the locker when I was done, and replaced the lock back in its place.

"Bye, Bella!" Jessica Stanley called from her own locker. She was a popular cheerleader that sat with all of us at our jock lunch table.

"See ya, Jess!"

I rubbed my temples absently as I made my way to my car. It was a glossy white Audi Coupe that Edward had gotten me for Christmas last year, as soon as I had gotten my license. I'd protested, but the entire Cullen family had insisted that I take it. I had consented under pressure.

I always parked between Edward's shiny Volvo and Rosalie's red M3. The three cars were the fanciest car in the whole school.

As I neared, I saw Rosalie and Emmett leaning on the hood of her car. They were waiting for the rest of us. We usually always hung out over at one of our houses.

"Hey, Bella," Rosalie greeted me cheerily. "What happened to you?"

"I bumped my head," I mumbled. "Hey, Em."

He guffawed. "When will your coordination get better?"

"When you shut up and stop teasing me about it. Ah!" I yelped as I tripped on my own foot again.

Someone grabbed me from behind, and I knew who it was as soon as I smelled his familiar scent mixed with his cologne.

"Thanks, Edward," I grumbled.

"You okay?" he asked, looking concerned as he peered at me. "You don't look so good. Wait. What happened to your forehead? It's swelling up."

Edward was the only one who ever noticed anything abnormal about me. He always took the time to study everything about me.

"Don't tell me," he sighed as he reached to rub my forehead gently with his palm. "You bumped into someone."

I bit my lip. "Something like that, yeah."

"Why? Did you move on from basketball?"

"Volleyball," I said, and he made a face.

"I swear, Coach Clapp is scheming to kill you," he mumbled. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I mumbled, pushing his hand away. "I just need an ice pack."

"Aw, how cute," Alice chirped as she and Jasper arrived. "I _saw_ that. Did Edward finally confess his love to you, and you're dating now? Please tell me that it's true." She looked seriously hopeful for a joke.

Edward glared at her. "Shut up, Alice."

Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper snickered, while Alice still looked at me for an answer.

"Ask something that actually makes sense, Alice," I said.

"Why doesn't it make sense?" Alice asked, looking genuinely surprised. "Do I have to remind you again how much I would love having you as my sister-in-law, and Edward's wi -"

"Let's not go there again," I interrupted.

Edward glowered at his sister. "Just for saying that, you're not stealing away Bella today. No shopping spree."

"What?" Alice looked shocked. "You're kidding! What else would Bella do?"

"She's tutoring me," Edward snapped, opening the Audi's car door for me. "So you can forget about shopping."

The others were still grinning widely, as if they were all sharing a private joke, but I didn't get what was so interesting. It was like any other day. Alice hints around that she would love to see me date Edward. We both get mad at her, and Edward would forbid her to take me shopping, claiming that I had to tutor him. Same old day.

"Edward! I am your elder sister, and I command you to let go of Bella's hand right now!" Alice had her hands on her hips.

"You're seventeen too, Alice," I told her.

"I'm older by birthday!"

"Who cares about birthdays?" Edward muttered. "Get in, Bella. We're meeting at our house today, so I'll see you there."

"Okay. Anyone want a ride?"

"Yes!"

"Besides you," Edward shot at his sister. Her face fell.

"Never mind," I muttered under my breath as I slid into my seat. Edward shut the door behind me, and I backed out carefully.

I arrived at the Cullens' first. I drove slower the others, but maybe they'd been arguing before they got into their cars.

"Hey, Esme," I greeted her in the kitchen. I sat on a barstool next to the counter, tossing my bag on the floor behind me.

"Bella," she said, smiling as she sliced carrots. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know," I said, stealing a carrot and placing it my mouth. "They should be here any minute now. I left first because Alice was upset."

"Oh, dear," Esme chuckled. "Did she tease you two again?"

I rolled my eyes. "As usual."

Carlisle and Esme were the three Cullen siblings' adoptive parents. Esme wasn't able to give birth, so they adopted Emmett, Alice, and Edward when they were really young.

It was hard to believe they weren't their biological parents. The way they regarded and respected their children was too real. They had become a biological family through their tight bonds.

"I am _so_ amazed at how frustrating this is," Alice's lofty voice got closer. They must have arrived. "Did I mention how stupid this is it, Edward? I told you that the thing to do is just go for it."

The five of them appeared at the kitchen doorway. They joined me at the barstools.

"Go for what?" I asked.

"Shut up, Alice," Edward advised. "Let's just forget it."

"Forget it?" Alice asked incredulously. "It's not exactly a secret anymore. I'm seriously surprised that she doesn't suspect it yet-"

"Alice," Jasper cut her off. "Let's leave him alone. He'll figure it out."

"Girl trouble?" Esme teased. "Who is it this time?"

"It's nothing, Esme," Edward said, looking embarrassed. "_Really_." He shot Alice a look.

"I wouldn't say it's nothin'," Emmett said, crunching on a carrot he'd stolen from his mother. "It's just this girl that he's known for a long time and he really likes, but doesn't want to ask her out yet because he thinks she only likes him as a friend and-"

"Really?" I asked, leaning forward, interested. "Who is it?"

He shut his mouth and glanced at Edward nervously. "No…one?"

"Come on, Em, spill. I won't tell anyone."

"Bella," Edward said, tugging on my wrist as he got up. "We'd better go upstairs so that you can tutor me in _silence_." He glared at his siblings as he dragged me out.

We heard them laughing as we walked upstairs.

"You really have someone you like?" I asked him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "I didn't think you were interested."

"I'm interested in anything that's related to you," I said.

He sighed. "Let's drop it, Bella. Alice and Emmett are just doing that to annoy me."

I laughed as I punched him in the arm playfully. "You really like her, don't you? You're crazy about her. I can tell now that I know."

"Yeah?" Edward asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. Is she pretty? Nice? Smart?"

"All three," he told me, smiling slightly. He messed up my hair lightly. "Like you."

"Don't be ridiculous," I snorted as we entered into his huge bedroom. "I seriously doubt it."

He smiled crookedly. I loved that smile. He saved it only for me.

"Do you really need to be tutored on mitosis, or was that just an excuse?" I asked.

"Excuse, of course," he said. "I just wanted to be alone with you. Can you believe how annoying they get?" He frowned.

"Don't you find _me_ annoying at all?" I asked, laughing slightly. "I've been around for twelve years. Ever since kindergarten. Till now. Don't you get tired of me?"

"No," Edward said. He lay down on his bed, sprawled up like a cross. "Never."

"What could be so interesting about me?" I asked, sitting down next to him on the edge of his bed. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm as normal as anyone could be, average in everything I do, and there's nothing about me that stands out. _What_ do you see in me?"

He glanced at me, then, without warning, wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me towards him. I found myself lying next to him, my head on his arm. He turned so that he was facing me, smiling playfully.

I slapped his shoulder. "Let me up."

"No."

"Edward…" I warned.

He studied my face so intensely that I felt self-conscious. The blush creeped up to my face.

"Well, for one thing…" he said quietly, reaching up to brush my cheek lightly with his fingers. "This. I love it when you blush. It's so adorable on you."

I rolled my eyes. "Now you're just going too far. If you don't want me to tutor you, then let me up so I can start on homework."

"And this," Edward added. "The fact that you have a boy nearly on top of you and you don't give a damn. All you can think about is stupid homework, isn't it?"

"A boy that is my best friend," I pointed out. "Nothing more. There's no reason why I should feel that way."

Edward didn't move. "Really? Nothing at all?"

"Are you done?" I asked, frowning. "I believe you and I both have a lot of homework. It's Wednesday, after all. The middle of the week."

He sighed. "I suppose you're right. But I really need you to tutor me on something after homework is done."

"What?"

"How to get a girl to like me."

I started laughing. "You're kidding, right? Why would _you_ need tutoring on that? You're a ladies' man. You have all the girls behind you. Just ask her out, and she'll say yes no matter what."

He frowned. "It's not funny. And I really do need help."

"Oh, God," I said. "You really are crazy about that girl, aren't you?"

"Yes," he said, still staring at me intensely. "I'm crazy about her."

I sighed as I closed my eyes wearily. "I'm sorry to tell you that you're asking the wrong person. I have no experience in that field."

"Just tell me what _you _would want. I'll go from there."

"Ask Alice. Better yet, ask Rosalie. They both had more than enough experiences."

"Bella…" he whined, slowly returning back to his normal behavior.

"You went out with tons of girls these past few years," I said. "If anyone should tutor someone on how to win over the opposite sex, then _you_ should be the one to tutor_ me._"

"You've dated boys too."

"Once."

"You've gone on dates with each boy once," he corrected. "I never understood why you didn't go steady."

"Because I didn't know how to tell them no," I said.

"Which is exactly why Mike Newton is still under the impression that you like him," Edward snapped. "You have to cut him off cleanly."

"I went out with Mike six months ago."

"And he's still asking you out. It's too bad you didn't learn how to say no six months earlier. It's a bit too late."

"Tell him to stop for me."

"What's in it for me?"

"Oh, you!" I said exasperatedly as I smacked his shoulder.

He laughed as he released me. He pulled me up with one good jerk, and saying, "Come on, let's get to work."

For the next two and half hours, we worked in silence. We spoke up now and then to ask a question about a problem, but other than that, nothing new happened. Until my phone rang.

Edward had already finished his homework and was in the middle of repacking his things in his backpack. I had a few more math problems left, when my phone began ringing.

I glanced at it, then grimaced. I turned back to my notebook, trying to ignore it.

"Who is it?" Edward asked.

"Don't-"

Too late. He'd already seized it and looked at the caller ID. "This guy is quite irritating, isn't he?"

"He's your friend, Edward."

"Still. Answer, and tell him to stop bothering you."

"No way, he never listens. It'll be two hours before he lets me off the phone."

"Fine, I'll tell him."

"NO!"

I was too late again.

"Hello?" Edward answered with awful coldness in his tone.

"_Edward_?" I heard on the other end. "_I thought this was Bella's phone. Am I wrong?"_

"No, you're right," Edward said. "This is her phone."

"_Then why are _you_ answering it_?"

"I have a better question for you," he said icily. "Why are you harassing my friend?"

_"I'm not harassing her. What are you talking about, man?_"

"You keep calling her when she refuses to go out with you," Edward said. "That's harassment."

"_Why are you so protective of her, anyway? Wait…you two aren't dating, are you?"_

"And if we are?"

I was horrified. "Edward!"

"I'm warning you, Mike," Edward said, ignoring me. "You're my friend, but I won't tolerate it if you keep bothering her. Don't call her anymore. Or you _will_ answer to me." He hung up.

"Edward Cullen," I said disapprovingly. "You big liar."

"I wasn't lying," Edward disagreed. "You are on a date with me right now, didn't you know?"

"And what kind of a date was this?" I asked, scoffing. "Study date?"

"Exactly," he said, grinning.

"That may be true, but we aren't dating," I told him. "Dating, as in the process of going out with the same person? We're not doing that. Besides, you already have someone you like."

He made a face at me. "Whatever you say, this was a date."

"Don't expect me to go on any other dates with you," I teased as I turned back to my work.

"Why are you so slow?" Edward asked after a while. "You should've been done a long time ago."

"You know math is my weakest subject."

He leaned over, and upon finding that I was just finishing up the last problem, he grabbed my pencil and finished it quickly for me.

"Hey!"

"There, now you're done." He closed the notebook and stuffed my things inside my bag before tossing it next to his own bag.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he dragged me to his sofa.

"You have to tutor me, remember?"

"I don't recall agreeing to tutor you."

"Please?"

"No. I told you I don't have experience."

He looked thoughtful. "Alright. Forget it, then. Let's play our what-if game. We haven't played it in a while."

I smiled. "Fine."

What-if game was like the truth game, where you had to answer honestly. This was similar, but the questions had to be in a what-if form. We asked mostly hypothetical questions, wondering what we would do in a certain situation.

"Do you want to go first?" he offered.

"Sure," I said easily. "Hm… What if one of the cheerleaders asked you out?"

He made a face. "Ew. What about it?"

"Would you say yes?"

"No." He looked one hundred percent certain.

"You didn't even think about it," I said, frowning.

"It's something I don't need to think about," Edward said. "Besides, that isn't hypothetical. It's happened too many times before, Bella."

"Alright, alright. Go ahead."

"What if…" He hesitated. Then, he forged on. "What if I told you that I loved you?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"I'm honestly curious," Edward said, smiling slightly. "What would you do?"

"Well…wouldn't it be normal? I mean, we _are_ friends. And we're like siblings. We've told each other that numerous times."

He shook his head. "Not in that way."

I thought for a moment. "I never really thought about it," I admitted. "I'm not sure. I can't imagine it…probably because we've been friends for a really long time."

"Will you let me know if you do find out?"

I glanced at him strangely. "Why do you want to know so badly?"

"I told you…" He smiled crookedly. "Just curious."

"Okay," I shrugged, not thinking twice about it. "My turn. Um…"

"I got one!" Emmett announced, bursting into the room. "What if I threw your entire music collection out the window?" The other three followed him inside, looking amused.

"Then I would kick your ass and make you buy the whole collection with your own allowance," Edward said calmly without missing a beat.

Emmett's face fell comically. "I was just kidding. You didn't have to answer so seriously." He plopped down next to me. "You guys haven't played that game in a while."

"Which is why we're playing it right now," I said, smiling. "But I think I'm stuck. Anyone want to help me out?"

"Yes!" Alice said suddenly. "I got a perfect question for you two. You guys both have to answer it. Don't worry," she added when Edward and I grimaced. "It's nothing bad. I just got to thinking it randomly during Biology in second period. Okay. What if you introduced your best friend to another one of your best friends so that they could date, but the first best friend was actually in love with _you_?" She said is so fast that I didn't catch everything.

I frowned. "What?"

Alice sighed. "You're very slow today, aren't you? Alright, I'll repeat it. Let's say that you have a boy friend, not someone you're dating, but someone who is your friend. Like you and Edward, you know."

"Go on."

"You have a girl friend who is interested in your boy friend. So you decide to do some matchmaking and hook them up. But then, you find out that the boy friend is actually in love with _you_, and he doesn't even see the girl you paired him up with. And vice versa with you, Edward. What would you do?"

I frowned slightly, thoughtful. Edward, too, looked intrigued.

"_That _is a really good question," Rosalie mused. "Maybe we should all answer that one."

"Good idea," Alice chirped. "I've already got my answer figured out."

"Alright," Edward chuckled. "Let's hear it."

"I would go out with him."

I raised my eyebrow. "What about your girl friend? Would you betray her?"

Alice sighed. "Well, I guess it would depend on what kind of a person she was. Now, if it was someone like Jessica, I wouldn't even consider it. Just go straight to that boy friend and tell him that I wanted to go out with him. On the other hand, if it was somebody that I really cared about, like you, Bella, then I would probably have to think about it some more."

"_I_ would probably remain neutral and stay friends with both of them," someone said at the doorway.

We all looked to see Carlisle standing there, looking amused. He'd heard the whole thing.

"Hey, Carlisle," Rosalie greeted him. "You're home early."

"A bit," he agreed. "Playing what-if? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I think it's a little different for boys," Jasper mused. "Boys are more impulsive. They would follow their desires, not their brain or their heart."

"I would date both," Emmett said.

Edward and I both rolled our eyes.

"Very mature, Em," Alice snorted.

"Esme says dinner will be ready in an hour," Carlisle said before disappearing into his office.

"What about you guys?" Rosalie asked Edward and me. "What would you do?"

"Me?" Edward looked doubtful. "I don't know. I suppose it would depend on the circumstances. There are a lot of what-ifs attached to that question as well. What if the girl was a good friend of yours? What if she begged you to help her get to him? Blah, blah. I'd rather stay away from the love triangle."

"I think it would depend whether or not I liked him back," I said thoughtfully. "I mean, there's a chance that I only saw him as a friend."

"Fine, then," Alice said, shrugging. "What if you do like him back?"

"I would think about it, and ask myself if it's worth betraying the girl."

"What if you don't like him back?"

"Reject him," I said simply. "What else could I do? I'd tell him to go to that girl instead."

"Smart," Rosalie teased.

Edward was silent, staring at Alice strangely. Then, abruptly, he said, "Was there a reason you were wondering about that, Alice?"

"No, no reason," Alice said innocently. "I was just wondering. It was just one of those things that pops into your head randomly."

Jasper smiled at her fondly. "I wonder how it got into your head."

"So do I," Edward said dryly. He gave her a meaningful look. She cleared her throat and avoided his gaze.

In that awkward moment, my phone rang again. I checked it, then sighed.

"Tell him the to butt the hell out," Edward said, still staring at Alice.

"Fine," I muttered before rising and leaving the room.

He was right. Mike was getting annoying. What did _he_see in me, if Edward saw the blush and ignorance?

* * *

**AN: There was a bit of foreshadowing. Did you catch that, I wonder? Hehe. ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Reviews, please!**


	3. Chapter 3: Unnatural

**Author's Note: Here's the third chapter for you! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Edward's Point of View**

As soon as the door closed behind Bella, I turned to Alice. "What were you thinking?" I hissed. "I told you not to do anything!"

"I just asked an innocent question," Alice defended herself. "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just honestly curious, that's all."

"And where did you get that idea from?" I asked sarcastically. "I'm sure it didn't just randomly pop into your head like you explained earlier."

She huffed indignantly. "Okay, fine. I was thinking about how you two would look good together. But the question was totally innocent, I promise. I did get the idea from you guys, but the third person and the whole 'what would you do?' thing was totally made up. Happy?"

I sighed angrily. "Don't ever do that again."

"I told you," Alice said, looking hurt. "I just want you two to get together, and-"

"Yeah, well, it's probably not going to happen," I said, stony-faced. "She doesn't like me that way."

"She probably just never took the time to think it through," Rosalie said wisely. "Don't give up hope. She's been your friend for so long that it's just rubbed off on her. She probably never even dared to consider liking you that way, since all those girls are hounding after you."

"Of all the girls you could've chose to fall in love with," Emmett chided. "I can't believe you chose the one that has been your best friend ever since you were young. The one that has absolutely no interest in you whatsoever."

"Emmett!" Alice snapped. "That's not true. I told you. I'm pretty sure Bella has feelings for Edward too. She just doesn't know it yet."

"I think I might just give up," I said gloomily, slumping. "I've been giving her hints these past few years, and she's always so innocent. She doesn't know what my real intentions are. I think I should just give up."

"No!" Alice and Rosalie chorused.

"I told you," Alice hissed. "I'm having Bella as my sister-in-law in ten years! That means you guys have to start dating right _now_!"

Jasper chuckled. He was the only one who was finding her behavior cute.

"Alice…" I said wearily. "It's all my fault, okay? It's my fault for starting to like her in the first place, and it's my fault for not keeping my secret such a secret so that you guys were able to find out, and it's my fault for not trying hard enough to make her see me in another way. It's obvious I'm not the one for her."

"You're kidding, right?" Emmett asked, gaping. "You can't give up now."

"I think I'll just tell her that I decided to give up on the girl," I said, rising. "I should just stick to dating other girls."

"Sit back down," Rosalie hissed, pushing me back down. "You're not finished. Don't give up! Confess to her!"

"Look, I know that she doesn't like me in that way, so what's the point?" I asked, irritated. "She'll just reject me, and then, our relationship will get awkward! We'll drift apart, and I won't be able to regard her as my _best_ friend anymore!"

"What are you so afraid of?" Jasper asked. "We told you. We're positive that she has feelings for you. And if you won't go for it, then you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You wouldn't have even tried all the way."

I leaned back and closed my eyes. "I know Bella. I know she doesn't like me that way. But I also know that my feelings for her won't change either." I paused. "I think I should just go out with other people for now…"

"You'd better not," Alice said. "I won't forgive you." She pouted.

I laughed. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

I had heard a saying once. _Falling in love is easy… Falling out of love is hard._

But just because I was giving up on trying to make her notice me didn't mean that I was going to stop loving her. I could stop hinting around.

I couldn't live without her. That wasn't going to happen.

**Bella's Point of View**

"_…know how surprised I was to hear _Edward_ answer the phone?" _Mike was saying on the phone. "_Man, I'd never heard him so annoyed."_

I sighed. "He did it for a reason, Mike. It's true that you're bothering me with this. I think you've asked me about a hundred times these past few months. It's getting a bit…tiring."

"_I'm sorry,_" Mike said. "_But you have to consider my position as well. I've liked you ever since elementary school."_

"Mike… I can't go out with you anymore. So please stop asking me. I'm begging you. I just want to remain friends with you. Nothing more."

"_Is it because of Edward?_" he asked, a hint of jealousy in his tone. "_Did he tell you to reject me? Or even worse, are you guys really dating?"_

I closed my eyes, exasperated. "_No_. How many times are you going to ask, and how many times will we have to say no? No, no, we're not dating! Mike, you know that I've known Edward since we were five. Does that mean we've been dating for twelve years?"

"_I guess not,_" he admitted. "_But he's always so protective of you. It's unnatural._"

"So are Emmett and Jasper," I pointed out. "Does that mean they like me too?"

"_Alright, alright_," Mike relented. "_You win. I guess you're right._"

"And please don't do this anymore, Mike. Really. It makes everything so awkward. Besides, how will I face Jessica?"

"_Don't bring her up," _he groaned. "_She's such a…_" He mumbled the b-word under his breath, knowing full well that I wouldn't tolerate it.

"She likes you," I said, pretending not to have heard. "It's not easy for girls to confess to boys, you know. You should be more nice to her." I slid down the wall and sat down on the wooden floor next to Edward's door.

"_Fine…_" he grumbled. "_I'll consider asking her out. Happy?"_

I smiled. "Very. Is that all, then?"

"_I guess."_

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

_"Oh, wait, speaking of school, did you hear about that new girl?"_

I frowned. "No. What new girl?"

_"She's transferring from a school in Seattle. Apparently, she's a real hottie. She's going to gain some attention tomorrow._"

"Huh. Alright, thanks for letting me know."

"_Bye_."

A transfer student? Why would she transfer to this small town if she had been living in Seattle?

The door beside me opened suddenly, startling me. Edward looked down at me, also surprised. "What are you doing?"

"I was… I just hung up on the phone," I said, scrambling to my feet. "Did you know there's going to be a new transfer student tomorrow?"

"Didn't you know?" Edward asked blankly. "I thought everyone knew."

"Really?" I made a face. "I'm always the last one to find out."

He laughed. "Come on, pouty. Let's go down and help Esme with dinner." He dragged me toward the staircase.

I caught a glimpse of Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie, still in his room. They looked rather unhappy for some reason.

"So what'd you say to Mike?" Edward asked. "Did you cut him off?"

"Yes. I told him to go ask out Jessica."

"Good," he said. "Then she'll stop bugging me."

"Why would she bug you?"

"She wanted me to take her out on a date," Edward snorted. "Since Mike didn't work, and you claimed that we weren't dating, she was obviously trying to go for me. Mike or me, either one."

"I'm sorry, Edward," I said, smirking. "It must be hard, being popular."

"A bit," he said, grinning at me. "And it must be hard for you too, being popular amongst boys."

"You're not going to start that one again, are you?"

"Why would Mike ask you out, then? Why would Austin, Tyler, and Eric all ask you out?"

"Shut up."

"I could go on forever," he told me. "What about Ben and-"

"Okay, enough, Edward," I said, pinching him. "I'm seriously going to punch you one day."

He smiled. "I'll be waiting for that day."

"So? What's the verdict?"

"What do you mean?"

"What did you guys talk about while I was on the phone?"

"Nothing much," Edward said. He hesitated. "I decided to give up on that girl."

"Why?" I asked, surprised. "I thought you were crazy about her."

"I was. I still am. I don't think I can ever forget about her. Especially since she's around me so much. But I don't think she likes me in that way. So I decided to give up. You know, maybe go out with other people for now…" He grimaced at the thought.

"But isn't that going to be hard?" I asked. "Trying to fall out of love?"

He smirked at me. "Whoever said I was going to fall out of love? I'll still love her."

"But you just said that you were giving up…"

"Giving up trying to make her notice me as more than a friend doesn't mean that I can't keep liking her," Edward said, raising his eyebrow. "Right?"

I shrugged. "Sure. I guess."

"Why? Is something bothering you?"

"It's just…" I frowned. "Well, it doesn't seem right. If you want her, you should at least confess to her. You never know, she might like you back."

"Nah, I know her like a book." He sighed. "I know her better than I know myself."

"So you're just going to go out with cheerleaders now?" I asked. "I know all of them irritate the hell out of you, Edward. How will you deal with them?"

"I don't know," he grunted. "Somehow, I suppose. I'll deal with it. Don't worry so much." He smiled wryly.

"I do worry though," I mumbled. "How can I not? You're my best friend."

"Of course you are," Edward said. "You can interfere with everything that's related to me, but butt out of my love life. I don't want you going there." He winked. "Too complicated."

"I just hope it doesn't get more complicated," I said. "I wouldn't be able to stand seeing you suffer."

He grinned. "This is why I love you so much, Bella. Did I mention how much I love you?"

"Yes," I said, abruptly cranky. "Numerous times before, so don't go there again."

He threw his arms around me, laughing. "I love you, Bella."

"Ugh, get away! Not again!"

He only laughed, holding me tighter.

Though this was not a strange behavior for him, it unnerved me to see him like this. It was like he was trying too hard to act normal. It was unnatural.

Still, I sensed that he didn't want to talk about it with me, so I let the matter rest and humored him by complaining how heavy he was.

* * *

**AN: I love how all of you have expressed your positive feelings for this story! Keep them coming! ;) And reviews, please!**


	4. Chapter 4: Appreciation

**Author's Note: Enter… Tanya Denali. Big surprise. Yeah, she'll always be my antagonist, in probably all the stories that I'll do in the future as well. Oh, well… You all ready to hate her in another story? Heh. :) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The whole school was excited. Not because there was a fourth fancy car in the parking lot, but because there was a new, pretty, strawberry-blonde supermodel-like girl in town.

Several people approached her and offered to show her around, eager to be friends. It was obvious that she was rich. She wore designer like the Cullens and the Hales, and she had a shiny Benz the color of deep blue.

By lunch time, everyone knew her name. She sat with a bunch of less popular, normal kids, looking comfortable and relaxed. She didn't mind the attention. I knew _I_ would have.

I didn't have any classes with her, but I saw her often in the hallways. She was popular among boys, and several jock football players asked her out. Surprisingly, she rejected every one of them, saying that she already had someone that she liked. I couldn't believe it. She'd barely been in town for a week, and she already had her eyes set on someone. I couldn't imagine it.

It was Friday, the day of the fourth football game of the season. I was still trying to figure out where Rosalie had wanted to take Alice and me, when I found out after school. It was so obvious that I felt stupid for embarrassing myself in front of Edward the other day.

"So you guys excited for the game today?" Alice asked during lunch. "Think you can win?"

"Duh," Austin Marks said, rolling his eyes. "Seriously? The Northern Knights that are coming here after school? Boring. There's no competition."

"Besides, we have the best quarterback in the whole state of Washington," Jasper said, reaching over to bump Edward's fist. "Am I right, Edward?"

Edward merely smiled. He was always so modest.

"You're coming, right?" Alice asked me.

I frowned. "But didn't Rose say that…" Suddenly, it hit me. And I realized why Edward was wearing such a smug smile.

"Ugh," I muttered under my breath. "I am such an idiot. How could I have missed it?"

He was sitting next to me. He nudged me gently. "Told you I always get what I wanted."

I nudged him back. "You're so sneaky."

"How could the smartest girl in school forget that Rosalie is the captain of the pep squad?" Edward countered back teasingly. "You know her attendance in the game is mandatory."

"Which is why I wanted you to leave today free, Bella," Rosalie spoke up. "I never have time for you or Alice on Fridays where there's a game, so I wanted you two to come watch it. It'll be fun." She smiled hopefully.

"Of course we'll go," Alice chirped. "I get to see my man in his football uniform. It's been a while." She leaned on Jasper affectionately.

"You're not speaking for me," I said disapprovingly. "I have tons of studying to do. No way."

"You can't back out!" Edward protested. "I covered for you, remember?"

I scowled at him while the rest of the table watched us in silence, amused at our exchange.

"It's been a while since you came to a game," Emmett agreed. "You should come, Bella. We would all play better if we knew that you're up in the bleachers."

I rolled my eyes. "Right. That's what Rose is for. That's what the cheerleaders are for."

"I was only thinking about our quarterback," Emmett said, fighting a smile and raising his hands as a gesture of surrender. "He always does things better when you're there to help him."

Edward shot him a grateful smile, then turned back to me. "We had a deal," he reminded me.

"Yes, we did," I mumbled, giving up. "I'll go."

"Good," Rosalie said happily. "Don't worry, Bella. It'll be really fun. It always is."

I rolled my eyes and said sarcastically, "I look forward to it."

"Football's not so bad," Alice said, though knowing full well why I was so reluctant to go. "The rules are pretty simple. Just try to get the ball to the other side of the field."

"Soccer is so much better," I snorted. "All I see in football is people ramming into each other. And then they get hurt."

Edward rolled his eyes. "You're still not thinking about the first time I got hurt while I was playing the game, are you?"

"Yes, I am," I said defensively. "It was traumatizing for me. Imagine how shocked I was when I heard that my best friend was unconscious and was being transported to the hospital."

"You never really liked football ever since then," Rosalie agreed. "But Edward's better now. He's not a bad player." She smirked when Edward stuck out his tongue at her.

I sighed. "I guess I'll cover my eyes when you guys ram into each other."

"Good girl," Edward said, ruffling my hair.

* * *

I looked around for Alice. Where was she? She said she'd be here in ten minutes…

I sat down on the top of the bleachers, deciding to wait for her. The game was starting soon anyway.

I had to admit, the field was impressive from up here. It was huge, for a small school like ours, but we relied heavily on our athletics program. We had the best football team in the state of Washington. Not including the University of Washington, of course.

At the edge of the field, I saw the cheerleaders in their short uniforms, having a short meeting. I spotted Rosalie easily by her glowing blonde hair. I saw the football coach, which meant that the team was somewhere near him as well.

I saw a bunch of boys wearing navy blue jerseys with their last names on their backs. And among them, I spotted a familiar bronze-haired boy.

I smiled slightly as I studied his serious expression. He and the team were going over last-minute strategy before the game began.

It was another seven minutes before the game finally began. And as it progressed, I couldn't help but become intrigued. I watched intently as the two sides bumped into each other and intercepted the ball.

I cheered quietly when Edward made a touchdown with ten seconds to spare in the first half of the game. We were leading by five points.

The marching band went out onto the field to perform, and I watched the color guard throw their flags in the air. Rosalie had been right. It was really fun.

For the first time, I noticed a strawberry-blonde girl sitting a few inches away from me. I recognized her as the new girl, Tanya Denali.

I looked away when something caught my eye at the edge of the field. Edward was wincing slightly as he limped toward his seat on the bench. I was instantly worried. Was he okay?

"Excuse me."

Startled, I glanced at Tanya, who had slid closer to me. She smiled at me politely. "You're Bella Swan, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"I'm Tanya Denali," she said. "The new girl?"

"I know. Welcome to Forks High."

She laughed. "Oh, I'm enjoying it alright. I'm so glad I came to the football game today. We're really good."

"Yeah, we are," I agreed.

"Uh…I know it might be a little rude to ask, considering how I heard you guys were best friends, but…" Tanya hesitated. "Are you and Edward Cullen dating?"

"No." I hoped it was the last time that I said it.

"Oh," Tanya said. She smiled. "I can't see very well from here. Can you tell me what number jersey he's representing?"

"Of course," I said. "In fact, I can tell you every player's number."

"That's right, you're their friend," Tanya said. "You're popular, like they are."

I laughed. "Popular? Not really. I only sit with them at lunch because of Edward and my other friends. I wouldn't mind sitting alone in the library to study, but they insist."

She squinted. "So what number is he? Edward, I mean."

"Two," I responded. "Funnily enough, it's my favorite number."

"Two…" she mused. "And he's the quarterback?"

"Yes."

"And can you tell me who the captain of the pep squad is?"

"Rosalie Hale," I said. "The blonde. Do you see her?"

She squinted again. "I saw her hanging out with you and Edward's sister, Alice. Is she your friend?"

"Yes, she is. Why do you ask?"

"I'm actually thinking about joining the pep quad," Tanya said. "I was a cheerleader at my old school for a long time. I want to keep doing it. Besides, I think it's a good way for me to get to know all the popular kids."

I smiled. "You want to be popular?"

"Who doesn't want to be popular?"

"If you want, I can talk to Rosalie about it," I offered. "I'll tell her that you're interested. I think she mentioned that they were one cheerleader short because someone transferred out a few weeks ago."

"Oh, would you?" Tanya asked gratefully. "Thank you. I would really appreciate it."

She continued to stare in the general direction of Edward as the second half of the game began.

Curious, I asked, "Why are you staring at Edward? Are you interested in him?"

Tanya looked embarrassed. "Oh. Well, I was thinking that he's pretty hot. He seems really nice too. Does he have a girlfriend?"

"No," I admitted.

She perked up. "Really? Do you think I have a chance?"

"Sure, why not?" I shrugged.

She looked at me, surprised. "You don't seem very…upset."

Now I was surprised as well. "Should I be? Why?"

"Well, you're a girl."

"But I'm his friend," I said, laughing. "I don't see him that way. Besides, I'm used to girls being interested in him. He has a lot of admirers."

"I bet he does," Tanya murmured.

I turned back to watch the game. I inhaled a gasp when suddenly, one of the opposing team's defense players tripped Edward intentionally, causing him to fall hard.

Tanya glanced at me, frowning slightly, but I didn't notice. I was too busy trying to see if he was going to be alright.

Edward was grimacing in pain, but the referee didn't blow the whistle. He hadn't seen. Still, Edward refused to let them take the ball and passed it neatly to Emmett.

Throughout the whole game, I was worried about him. He was still limping. Finally, when the whistle rang, I was able to breathe and relax.

"It was nice talking to you," Tanya said, rising. "You'll talk to Rosalie for me?"

"I won't forget," I assured her. "I'll tell her, don't worry."

She nodded, smiling. "Bye, Bella." And she left.

I watched, biting my lip, as Emmett and Jasper helped Edward out of the field. He had sporting a bloody nose and his cheek was slightly swollen.

"Bella!" Alice came hurrying toward me. "Where were you? I was looking for you!"

"I was watching from over here," I said. "Where were you?"

"Down there, near the team and the pep squad, of course. But never mind that now. You should come. Edward's hurt!"

"I can see that," I said. "Is it serious?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "They think his ankle is slightly sprained. He has a bloody nose and a black eye, but other than that, he'll be fine. At least, the way he shouted at me to go find you would've been tough if he was really injured. But he yelled at me just fine."

"Where is he?"

"Come on." She dragged me down the bleachers, and out onto the field. She let go of my hand, and I hurried toward the team, who were all surrounding Edward, looking worried. _They_ looked fine, while their quarterback was injured.

I pushed Emmett and Jasper out of the way and stopped dead when I saw him. I made a face when I saw his state.

"Hey, Bella," Edward greeted me, grinning me cheerily. "Did you watch the game?"

I rolled my eyes as I sat next to him. "You idiot. Football's not a matter of life and death. What's wrong with you?" I took the ice from the medic and pressed it to his eye.

"Well, I got _your_ attention," Edward sighed. "I won't be able to walk properly for a week."

I clucked my tongue. "I'm never coming to a football game again."

"What?" Edward sat up too quickly and regretted it. "Ow. Why not?"

"If I'm going to see you hurt, I'm not going to watch football."

"Edward's in good hands," the coach chuckled. "Long time no see, Miss Swan."

I looked up, smiling slightly. "Hi, Coach. Aren't you looking a little _too_ happy? After all, your quarterback just got injured."

He shrugged. "Ah, he'll be fine. Nothing serious. Besides, we won, and that's what matters."

"I'm really feeling the love, Coach," Edward said, grimacing.

"Hey, is Edward okay?" Rosalie asked, pushing her way into the group. "You okay, Edward?"

"I'll live."

"Would someone drive him to the hospital?" the coach asked.

Edward looked at me. "Bella will."

"Why me?"

"Because you're my friend. Now come on. Help me up."

"We'll help him to your car," Emmett offered. "After that, you're on your own. We need to change."

I kept glancing at him sideways as I drove. After the tenth time, Edward rolled his eyes and said, "I'm fine, Bella. Don't worry. I've been worse."

"I know," I said. "But I can't help it. Your eye is already totally black, you know."

"It only looks worse than it really is," Edward disagreed. "It feels fine."

"Yeah, tell that to me tomorrow," I muttered under my breath. "You won't be able to see at all in the morning."

"You can be my guidance," he said, smiling.

I helped him out of the car when we got to the hospital. He was half leaning on me, half limping. We entered the ER, where his father, Carlisle, was working.

"Hey, Edward, Bella," one of the nurses greeted us. Everyone knew us here because we were always hurt. I was clumsy and tripped a lot, and Edward played football.

She looked at Edward. "Football?" she asked dryly.

He grinned. "Is Carlisle here?"

She rolled her eyes. "I thought I told you to be careful."

"I can't always do that."

She sighed. "Bella's the poor one. She's always the one dragging you to the ER after a football game."

"I always drag her to the ER when she trips," Edward countered.

I shot him a dirty look. "Is Carlisle here?"

"Who do we have here?" a familiar voice asked amusedly.

Carlisle had approached us with a smile on his face. "Edward. What happened to you?"

"We had a game today, Carlisle," Edward said, wincing. "The medic said that I had a sprained ankle."

"And more, from the looks of it," Carlisle said, grimacing at his son's black eye. "Come on, let's take a look at you."

I helped Edward onto an empty bed. Luckily, we'd come at a time when there were no people.

It turned out that Edward's ankle was _not_ sprained, thankfully. The muscles were only slightly shocked from landing the wrong way. He would be alright after a good rest.

I sighed in relief. "That's good news." I fixed my stern gaze on Edward's sheepish face. "You heard the doctor. _Rest_."

"That's right," Carlisle said, chuckling. "You'll be fine, Edward. I'm glad."

"So am I," I said. "I didn't want to be his crutch again for a week."

Edward suppressed a smile. "Thanks, Carlisle. I'll see you at home."

Carlisle nodded and turned to another patient that had just come in.

"You okay?" I asked worriedly as we drove back. "We should get an ice pack for your eye. You look like a panda."

He barked out a laugh. It was too light and cheerful for my liking.

"I'm serious! Why are you laughing?"

He looked at me fondly. "Did I mention that I'm glad to have you as my friend? There's no other friend like you, Bella. Thanks."

"Whatever, Edward."

"And thanks for coming today," he continued. "It meant a lot to me. Really."

I glanced at him. Going to the football game wasn't anything. It wasn't anything hard.

But I could see the sincerity behind his eyes. He really did appreciate it.

* * *

**AN: So what did you think about Tanya this time? Sketch balls? Or not enough information yet? ;) Keep the reviews coming, guys! I love how we're already over fifty reviews, and it's only the fourth chapter! Thanks, guys, and remember! Reviews, reviews, reviews! And maybe I'll update faster. **


	5. Chapter 5: Overboard

**Author's Note: Here is the fifth chapter of _Complications_. Do you think we can get one hundred reviews with this one? ;) Read ahead and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Esme had forbidden Edward to get out of bed the whole weekend until he was all better. He was fine, and she knew that, but everyone knew that she was only doing it because she was worried.

I was with him for most of the weekend. Mostly because he wouldn't let me out of his sight. He insisted that I keep him company. It annoyed the hell out of me. I had things to do other than doing _nothing_ at all.

"Come on, Edward," I whined, grimacing. "I have to study!"

"You always have to study," Edward contradicted me. "You deserve a break. Studying isn't everything, you know."

"Yeah," I said sarcastically. "Say that when I get into an Ivy League."

He grinned. "Bella, you're already working hard enough. Truthfully, I wouldn't be surprised if you got accepted to every one of the colleges that you apply to."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not enough. You know it's my dream to go to an Ivy League. Dartmouth or Brown…"

"And you'll get in," Edward promised. "I swear you will."

I eyed him apprehensively. "Are you going to bribe them into taking me?"

He laughed. "Maybe. We'll see."

"What about you?" I prompted. "Since I'm bored out of my mind, you might as humor me by answering my questions. Have you decided on what to major in yet?"

Edward had never had a real dream. Carlisle was a doctor and Esme was a part-time interior decorator. Emmett wanted to become a lawyer, and Alice wanted to be a famous fashion designer. No surprises there. She loved fashion.

But Edward could never decide. He was different from the others.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know."

I frowned in disapproval. "Have you even thought of it? We're juniors, Edward. It's time to think about it."

"I am thinking about it," Edward reassured me. "I've been researching a lot as well. I'm still weighing my options."

I smiled. I sensed that he was frightened of making a mistake. I knew him like a book. "Edward. With your brains and talents, you can do anything. What are you so afraid of?"

"Afraid?" Edward pursed his lips. "I don't know if that's the right word. I'm just a bit hesitant. What if I do major in something, and I find out that I don't like it when I'm thirty? By that time, it'll be too late."

"Is that what you're afraid of? You're afraid that you'll make the wrong choice?"

"Aren't you?" he countered. "Are you set on your goal?"

I paused. "I've seen doctors. And I've been seeing Carlisle my entire life. I know what I want to do."

"And you'll make a good one," Edward said softly, brushing away a lock of hair. "I don't have any doubts about that."

I shook my head incredulously. "What about college? You must have a dream college."

"I told you," he said. "I'll go wherever you decide to go."

I frowned. "That's not smart. You have to go someplace _you_ want to go, Edward."

"Do you think I can leave you to fend for yourself in a huge, unfamiliar campus?"

"I can take care of myself," I mumbled.

"Right," he said, smirking. "Tripping and falling on flat ground. That's taking care of yourself."

"I'll manage. Right now, this is about _you_."

His expression softened. "I know what I'm doing, Bella. I know you're worried about me, but I have plans too. I'm thinking."

"What if I decided to go to a crappy school?" I shot at him. "Would you still follow me?"

"Yes," Edward answered automatically.

I frowned at him.

He sighed. "It doesn't matter, because there's no possibility that you'll go to a crappy school. For one thing, I won't allow it. I _will_ get you into an Ivy League, even if I do have to bribe them."

"_Why_ do you want to follow me?" I wondered. "What makes you think that following me will do you good?"

"Because you'll be there," Edward said simply. "Wherever you are, I can survive. You know I can't live without you, Bella."

"It's high time you tried."

"I can't live without you," he repeated. "Never forget that, Isabella." He smiled slightly, looking down. He took my hand in his and began tracing the lines on my palm.

"Just be there for me," Edward continued. "No matter what happens. Remember what we promised when we were first starting high school? We promised each other that we won't ever drift apart. That no matter what happens, we'll always be there for each other."

"And?"

"And I have no intentions on breaking that promise," he said, looking up again. He looked serious. "No matter what happens."

I sighed. "You don't know what fate has in store for us."

"Fate," he scoffed. "I'll live _my_ own life, thank you very much. No one can decide for me. I'll do whatever I want."

I was silent, watching him curiously. He continued to play with my hand.

"What if I decided to break that promise?" I asked. "What would you do?"

"Are we playing the what-if game again?" He grinned.

"Just answer, Edward."

His smile faded. "Then…I don't know what I would do. I think…I would be more sad than angry. Because that means that we've drifted apart. I'd be losing my best friend."

He set my hand down next to him on the bed gently. "Let me ask _you_ a question now. Don't you want a boyfriend?"

I scrunched up my face in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You know… A real one. Someone that you'll see all the time…someone that you'll date steadily…someone that you'll look to find comfort in. That kind of a person. Don't you ever want one?"

"Why would I?" I asked, laughing slightly. "I have you."

"I'm not your boyfriend," Edward mumbled, looking slightly put-out about something. "That's the thing. I'm sure there are some things that I won't be able to fill."

"Like what?"

"Like hugging," he said seriously. "And kissing. Having sex. That kind of stuff."

I smiled. "Honestly, Edward, I think I'm still too young for that sort of stuff."

He looked disapproving. "You're not five years old anymore, Bella. While I think about my future, why don't you think about getting yourself someone you love?"

"Would you be happy if I did find someone?" I countered, raising my eyebrows. "Your quality time with me would get stolen by my boyfriend."

"No," he sighed. "I can't argue with you there."

"No?" I asked, confused. "No, what?"

"No, I wouldn't be happy," Edward clarified. "I'd still be losing my friend."

"What if the guy was really nice to me?" I teased. "What if he was really handsome and tall and smart and rich and talented? What if he loved me a lot?"

He stared at me, his lips parting. He moved his lips slightly, as if he was saying something, but there was no sound. It was like he was talking to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "I would be happy for you then. And I would probably be a little annoyed, but I would still be glad. Because someone actually took you in."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, my eyes narrowed.

He smiled playfully. "I seriously think no one would be dumb enough to date you."

"What?" I slapped his arm. "What's wrong with me?"

He shrugged. "Nothing in particular."

"Tell me!"

"Well, for one, you're stubborn."

I bit my lip. I couldn't argue with that. "And?"

"And you're too pretty. They would be too afraid to even talk to you. They wouldn't dare."

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously?"

He laughed. "I scared you for a minute there, didn't I? I could see it in your eyes. You're so gullible, Bella."

"Very funny. Then what if no one takes me in? Would you bribe someone to do so?" I snorted at the thought.

"I would take you in myself, of course. I wouldn't leave you alone your entire life, now, would I?"

I raised my eyebrow. "You'd take me in yourself? Really?"

He smiled. "What, you think I can't love you in that way? I'm your friend, but don't forget that I'm a man too. Maybe I'm just resisting to love you that way right now. I can let that emotion run wild if you want."

His expression was teasing, but there was something in his eyes that bothered me. He looked…sincere.

"Stop teasing me," I mumbled. "That's not funny." It unnerved me. What was wrong with him these days? It was probably that girl. The one he liked so much. She was driving him insane.

"I'm not teasing," Edward said innocently. "I'm serious. I would do anything for you. _Really_." He nodded when I glanced at him dubiously.

"Would you jump down from a building if I asked you to?" I laughed.

"Of course."

"Why would you do that?" I asked, abruptly shocked.

He looked amused now. "Because you told me to."

"I was joking…" I muttered. "That guy must have punched you too hard. I thought it was just a black eye, but apparently not. You're talking nonsense."

He frowned. "I'm fine, Bella. It's not like I had a concussion. I'm perfectly fine, but I'm only in my bed to make Esme happy."

I sighed. "Can't I go home, Edward?"

"No."

"You have Emmett and Alice here. I'll call Rosalie and Jasper as well if you want."

"No. I want you next to me."

"What difference do I make?" I grumbled. "Alice, Em, me; we're all the same."

"No, you're different."

"How?"

"You're different," Edward said. "You just are. There's no reason."

I huffed, frustrated. I raised my voice. "ALICE!"

"No! What are you doing?" He looked furious. "Why are you calling that blabbermouth in here? She'll never shut up."

"I heard that," Alice said as she walked in. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Edward said. "Will you convince Esme for me? So I can go play with Bella properly?"

"No way," I said, scrambling to my feet. "I've humored you long enough. Let me go spend some quality time on my own. Alice, you can keep him entertained alone, right?"

"Of course." She grinned evilly.

Edward glowered at me. "I'm going to get even."

I smiled as I walked outside. "I'll call you later. Rest, okay?"

He pouted as Alice began to babble. I could still hear her bubbly, loud voice from the first floor a minute later.

It was always nice to talk to Edward. Our conversations always turned out interesting.

Would he really take me in if no one else would? I wasn't sure if I could believe him. That seemed a bit going overboard, considering we were only friends.

* * *

**AN: So what did you think? I thought it was sweet of Edward to say that to her. And really, he's being super obvious, but you know our silly heroine. Blind, as always. =) Reviews, please!**

**Guess what? I'm starting a new story. Yeah, I know what you're going to say. But I've been managing numerous stories all at once for while now, and quite honestly, I can handle it. It doesn't give me too much of a headache, and, **_**no**_**, it doesn't make my head explode, like some of you asked me in a private message. ;) So I'm pretty confident about it. The idea wouldn't leave me alone, and I knew I had to write it down. The title isn't decided yet, but I'll tell you what it is on my next updates. I'll keep you informed on the status of the new story, and I hope you'll all go read it when the first chapter is post it! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6: Confidence

**Author's Note: Here's the next chapter for you all. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

I slid next to Rosalie's M3 on Monday morning. I cut the engine and got out.

"Hey, guys," I greeted Rosalie and Jasper, who were waiting for me. "How was your weekend?"

"Fine," Jasper said, smiling. "How was yours?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't even want to talk about it."

"Emmett told me," Rosalie said. "Edward didn't let you out of your sight?"

"He didn't," I confirmed. I leaned on the back of my car, next to them, and sighed. "Looks like they aren't here yet."

"Alice called earlier," Jasper said. "Edward had a hard time waking up this morning. So they're running a bit later than usual."

"Not much," Rosalie said. She glanced at her watch, then looked up. "Here they come now."

Sure enough, the silver Volvo came crawling through the narrow parking space, then slid next to my Audi.

"Hi, guys!" Alice chirped brightly as they all got out of the car. "What up?" She flounced towards Jasper, and they hugged. Emmett, too, went over to Rosalie, they kissed passionately for a few seconds.

I made a face and looked away as Edward appeared by my side. "You guys already saw each other during the weekend. Is this really necessary?"

"Get yourself a boyfriend, and you'll do this too," Alice said, her voice muffled by Jasper's broad chest.

I glanced at Edward for the first time, and was immediately alarmed. "Edward! What's wrong?"

"What?" Edward asked, freezing. His eyes were wide. "What did I do?"

He was pale and his eye looked worse than ever. He looked _extremely_ tired. Like he was a zombie. Though, I had to admit, a very _handsome_ zombie. How was he able to pull off every look?

"Are you sick?" I asked, reaching up to feel his forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"Do I look off?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing. "I didn't know that."

"That's 'cause you didn't have time to look at a mirror this morning," Alice said, finally tearing herself away from Jasper. "He woke up really late."

"I couldn't wake up," Edward scowled. "It's probably because of those strong painkillers you guys fed me at _one in the morning_."

"Oh," I said sympathetically, patting his arm. "I'm sorry, Edward. You scared me for a second there. I thought you were going to die on me."

Edward gave me an amused look. "Never."

"Oh, shoot!" Rosalie said suddenly. "I forgot to call around and ask if anyone was interested in cheerleading! There's a game on Friday, and we need one more person! She'll need to learn all the moves before then… Who do I get?"

I blinked, remembering my promise to Tanya Denali. "Rosalie. I almost forgot to tell you. I found someone who's interested in joining the pep squad."

She perked up. "Really? Who?"

"Tanya Denali. You know, the new girl."

"Tanya?" Rosalie asked, looking thoughtful. "I guess she _is_ the cheerleading type. Did she say she had experience?"

I nodded. "She was a cheerleader at her old school. I promised her that I would talk to you for her last Friday. I met her at the game."

"Tanya Denali…" Rosalie murmured. "I'll need to see her. She should audition. Can you bring her to the table during lunch?"

"Sure."

She smiled, relieved. "Lifesaver. Thanks, Bella."

"This is why I don't do pep squad," Alice said dismissively. "Too much stress and gymnastics. You're jumping high into the air most of the time."

"Is that why you take ballet instead?" Rose teased.

"Ballet is historical!" Alice said defensively. "Modern dance was built upon ballet. And it stands, therefore, in a very high senior position. It tops cheerleading. Duh!"

Suddenly, I cursed under my breath, and shoved Edward in front of me. "Hide me!"

"Huh?" Edward looked up and saw Austin and Mike sauntering toward us. His expression hardened.

"Don't start anything!" I warned. The others looked amused, though I didn't see what was so funny.

"Hey, guys," Mike greeted us when they arrived. "How was your weekend?"

"Pretty good," Emmett said. "How was yours?"

"Okay," Austin shrugged. "Your eye looks pretty bad, Edward." He made a face. "You alright?"

"It feels fine," Edward said. "I'm good."

"Really?" Mike asked doubtfully. "Will you be better by the game on Friday? If not, I could sub in for you." He looked hopeful.

"Hey," Emmett said. "I'm the captain of the football team. I'll decide that, thank you very much."

Mike held up his hands in surrender. "Just saying." He frowned. "Bella?"

"Hi, guys," I squeaked.

Austin laughed. "She's hiding from us. Maybe she really likes us."

"I do not," I mumbled.

"Then come out, why don't you?"

I sighed, then stepped out of the way. "Fine."

"You don't look so good," Mike said, frowning. "Are you sick, Bella?"

"I'm fine," I said. "Edward's the sick one."

"You do look a bit pale, man," Austin said. "Maybe you should just go home."

"I'm fine," Edward said, his eyes narrowing. "I'm just tired. Come on, Bella. Let's get you to class."

To my surprise, he grabbed my wrist firmly before walking me away without even limping. He was walking so fast that it was all I could do to keep from tripping.

"You're not limping," I said, when I could finally walk properly.

He smirked. "I told you I was fine."

"I'm glad. I really didn't want to be your crutch."

He looked ahead, fighting a smile, as we walked through the hallway.

"Hi, Edward!" several cheerleaders said brightly as we passed their lockers.

Edward ignored them, as if he hadn't heard them at all. They all looked disappointed.

I glanced back. "Aren't you going to say hi to them?"

"No. It'll only give them the courage to ask me out. Why would I do something so stupid?"

"I can't believe you're being so mean, Edward," I said disapprovingly. "It's your fault that they like you."

"My fault?" he prompted. "How so?"

"You're handsome, smart, popular, and a gentleman. Who wouldn't like you?"

He looked at me seriously. "You're right. But apparently, there _is_ someone who doesn't like me."

"You mean that girl?" I scoffed. "I'm sure she does. She would be insane not to."

He looked amused again. "Why did you say that you would talk to Rose for that new girl?"

"Because," I said, shrugging. "It's something that I can do. I'm Rose's friend, and she'll listen to me." I smirked. "Tanya seemed interested in you, Edward. She asked what your jersey number was."

"So you told her?" Edward asked, looking bothered. "What if she does become a cheerleader? She'll come after me."

"She seems really nice. Why don't you ask her out?"

His eyes narrowed. "You of all people shouldn't be saying that to me. I thought I told you to butt out of my love life?"

"I'll do whatever I want," I retorted, smiling. "So deal with it."

"I try not to interfere in yours, you know," he said.

"Mike?" I raised my eyebrow.

"That's different."

"How is it different?"

He pursed his lip. "You're right. It's not different."

"Exactly. I'll introduce you to her."

We stopped in front of my first period classroom. Edward turned to look at me, frowning slightly. "Don't."

"I thought you were going to go out with other girls?" I challenged. "That's part of getting over that girl you like. I'm trying to help you."

"Don't," he repeated. "No matchmaking. Promise me."

"No," I said, frowning. "Come on, Edward. You don't even know Tanya. How do you know you won't like her if you haven't met her?"

"I just have a feeling," he answered. "It feels wrong."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry." Then, I smiled reassuringly. "I'll bring her to our lunch table, and you can meet her, okay?"

"Bella," he warned. "No matchmaking. Seriously."

"Go to class, Edward," I said, ignoring him. "See you later."

He looked frustrated as I walked inside.

Why couldn't he understand this was all for him? I was doing it to help him forget that girl. He'd said so himself that he was going to give up. Then what was the problem?

* * *

I entered the cafeteria during lunch and looked around.

Tanya was sitting alone in the corner of a cafeteria, texting on her phone. I walked toward her.

"Hey, Tanya," I said, sitting right across from her. "How's it going?"

She looked startled. "Bella!" Then, she smiled. "I'm fine."

"Great," I said warmly. "Listen, I talked to Rosalie this morning. She still has a spot open, and I told her about you. She wants to see you. Are you okay with that?"

Tanya's face brightened. "Of course! When?"

"How about now?"

She looked apprehensive. "You mean your lunch table? But there are so many popular kids."

"They're all nice," I reassured her. I paused. "Well, there are a couple unfriendly ones, but it's fine. I'll protect you." I winked. "They all want to be on my good side, you know."

She laughed. "Thanks, Bella."

We walked over to the loudest table in the cafeteria. Emmett had just told a joke, and now, everyone was laughing.

"Hey, everyone," I said lightly. "How's it going?"

"Hi, Bella," everyone chorused, looking up and smiling. Tanya looked impressed.

"Guys, this is Tanya Denali," I introduced. "You all know her, right?"

"The new girl," Austin piped up. Everyone snickered.

"That's right," I said, smiling. "She'll be joining us from now on, so be nice to her, or you'll have to answer to me. Understand?"

"Sure," Mike said. He waved. "Welcome to our group, Tanya."

Tanya looked shy. "Hi, everyone."

On purpose, I sat across from Edward, and said, "Tanya. You can sit next to Edward." It was the only empty seat left.

Edward looked up, his eyes narrowing at me. I ignored him and watched at Tanya sat down eagerly.

"Oh, Tanya," I said. "This is Rosalie Hale, the captain of the pep squad."

Rosalie, who was sitting next to me, smiled. "Hi, Tanya. I heard you were interested in becoming a cheerleader. Are you any good?"

Tanya looked embarrassed. "I don't know. I mean, I've been doing cheer since freshman year so I guess so."

Rosalie nodded. "Great. But you'll need to audition for me before I can decide whether to put you in or not. Is that okay with you?"

Tanya nodded.

"Is today after school okay? We have practice every day after school until five-thirty. Plus, we have a game on Friday, so if you get in, you'll need to work extra hard to memorize and perfect all the moves. Do you think you can do it?"

She nodded. "I'll see you in the gym, then."

"Sounds good." Rosalie sighed in relief. "Thanks, Bella."

"No problem."

"We should introduce ourselves," Alice said. "You probably know everyone here is pretty popular, but still. Names." She smiled. "I'm Alice Cullen. That guy over there is my idiotic older brother, Emmett, who is also dating Rosalie, and the one you're sitting next to is Edward, my younger brother."

Tanya nodded, stealing a glance at Edward, who was now playing with his granola bar, looking bored.

"Oh, and don't mind his eye," Alice said quickly. "He got punched at the football game on Friday."

Tanya giggled. "Okay."

"This is Jasper Hale, my boyfriend and Rosalie's twin older brother…" She continued on, introducing all the football players and cheerleaders.

"And of course, you already know Bella," Alice concluded. "She's like our peacemaker of the group. And the intelligent one. And she's always ready to help, so if you need advice or something, don't hesitate to come to her."

I rolled my eyes, picking at my burger. "Unless it's boy trouble. You can go to Rose or Alice if that's the case."

Tanya smiled. "Thanks for letting me into your group, guys. But what if I don't make it into the pep squad?"

"You probably will," Edward spoke up, his tone bored. He was looking at me as he spoke. "If Bella introduced you, then Rosalie will probably take you in right away."

Rosalie laughed. "You're probably right. Bella's always right."

I sighed. "Hey, number two. Why don't you eat something?"

"I'm not hungry," Edward mumbled. "Why aren't _you_ eating?"

"I'm not hungry," I repeated. He cracked a smile.

Tanya glanced back and forth between us, her eyebrow raised.

I gave Edward a meaningful look, then kicked him under the table. He didn't flinch or anything, but he looked annoyed again.

"Where did you transfer from?" he asked politely, but I could hear the reluctance in his tone.

"Seattle," Tanya said, looking thrilled that he was talking to her. "My dad is a lawyer there, but he thought I should go away on my own for a while. I was having some trouble at my old school."

"What kind of trouble?"

She looked abruptly uncomfortable. "Um…nothing much, really. You know how high school gets. Wild and untamed." She smiled.

"So you're living alone right now?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Tanya said. "But it's okay. I like being alone."

"What about your mother?" Jasper asked.

"She died when I was really young," she replied. "And I don't have any siblings."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rosalie said. "Aren't you afraid to be alone, though?"

Tanya shrugged sheepishly. "Sometimes." She paused, then said, "So…who's dating whom here?"

Alice perked up. "So you like to gossip, huh? I can tell we're going to be good friends."

Tanya smiled. "I'm just asking, so I can avoid the ones that are taken."

"One of _those_ girls, eh?" Rosalie asked, her eyes sparkling. "Are you any good at flirting?"

Tanya merely laughed.

Alice began rattling off the few couples on our table. "And I would avoid my older brother if I were you, 'cause he's taken. Just remember this. The captains on the football team and pep squad are dating each other, and you should be fine. Don't antagonize them." She winked.

Rosalie laughed. "That's right." She snuggled closer to Emmett.

"You don't have a boyfriend, Bella?" Tanya asked, surprised. "Why not?"

"That's what I've been asking her for years," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "She goes out once in a while with boys in our group, but she never went steady."

I shrugged nonchalantly.

"What about you, Edward?" Tanya asked coyly.

Edward looked at her briefly. "No."

"Why?"

He merely shrugged like I had. "There's no one interesting."

"Then how about you go out with me?"

The entire table was silent. They were all shocked. There had been many girls that had asked Edward out, but they had never been so straightforward.

But to my surprise, Edward was as cold as ice as he replied without missing a beat, "Sorry, I'm not interested."

How did he do that? If someone had asked that to me suddenly, I would stutter and blush. And eventually end up going out with them.

Tanya smiled, unaffected. "That's fine. I don't like it if boys consented too early. Where's the fun in that?"

Edward glanced at her again, his eyebrows creased slightly. He looked bothered. _Really_ bothered.

Alice looked shocked and was speechless for the first time. Rosalie was staring at Tanya in a new way, and Emmett and Jasper looked wary.

I thought I was the only one who was amused. I was the only one smiling amusedly.

Edward looked at me suddenly. His eyes narrowed as he said, "Bella. We'll be late for Biology."

My smile widened. "Look who's talking, Mr. Tardy."

He didn't look amused. He looked more exasperated. "Come on, Bella," he said in a dangerously sweet voice. He got up to dump his lunch tray.

I pursed my lip, still amused, then got up to follow him. "Good luck, Tanya." I winked at her.

"Thanks," she said, smiling mischievously back. She knew I wasn't just wishing her luck in her audition later.

I followed Edward out of the lunchroom, now laughing silently. I really liked that girl. Why couldn't I be more like her?

* * *

**AN: So how did you like it? It was so long for me, even though it wasn't long at all. When I was editing, it was pretty much hell. **

**UPDATE ABOUT NEW STORY: Some fans wanted me to finish all my stories first before I start a new one. But honestly, I've already started, and when I get started, I can't stop. So since **_**Golden Lifestyle**_** is coming to an end (only like, two more chapters?) I decided to post the first chapter of the new story after it's totally done. It will be called **_**Desire**_**, so look forward to it! I hope you'll all go read it when it comes out! Thanks, and reviews, please!**


	7. Chapter 7: Shouts

**Author's Note: This is a pretty important chapter, I think, because it explains a bit about Bella's personal situations. I'll say no more, and let you read for yourself instead. ;) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"I told you not to do it," Edward hissed once we were outside.

I rolled my eyes as I leaned against the wall. "I was just trying to help you. Besides, Tanya seems really nice."

"No," he said, his eyes narrowing. "I know the type. Too well."

"Come on, Edward," I said exasperatedly. "How bad can she be? Just try to get to know her."

He glared. "I haven't forgotten about _her_ yet. Why are you doing this to me, Bella? I told you that I still like her, didn't I? And I told you not to do any matchmaking."

"You're frustrating me," I told him. "That's why I did it. Happy?"

Edward sighed. "Bella…"

"Alright, alright," I said quickly before we could fight. "I'm sorry. But nothing I do now will make everything go back to normal. Tanya has her eyes set on you. She'll keep trying to get to you. Speaking of which, how could you say no to her that quickly?"

"Experience," he said, shrugging. "What else?"

"Why did you say no? You don't even know what she's like."

"I told you," he said. "I know the type. Be careful, Bella. She may not be who you think she is."

I knew it was a bunch of crap. Tanya Denali seemed harmless to me.

"Whatever," I said. "Like I'll believe that. You don't know her."

"You don't either."

We glowered at each other. Then, abruptly, I started laughing. He looked confused.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked, looking frustrated.

"If you want, I'll tell her to stop," I said, still chortling.

"You just said that you can't."

I shrugged. "Why don't you try to get to know her at least?"

He glared at me. I took that as a no. "What about…?"

"Forget it, Isabella," Edward snapped. "Listen. If you try matchmaking again, then I won't forgive you easily. I mean it."

I smiled apologetically. "Yes, sir."

He relaxed. "Good." He studied me carefully. "How are Charlie and Renee?"

My expression immediately hardened. "Fine," I answered through gritted teeth.

He knew it was a touchy subject. Why was he bringing it up? If this was some sort of revenge for trying to hook him up with Tanya, then he was going too far.

"Relax," he told me. "I was just curious. I'm not going to get revenge for what you did." He knew me like a book.

"How about we make a deal?" I suggested, my voice still flat. "I'll butt out of your love life, and you can butt out of my family life."

"Bella," Edward sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? It's my fault for even mentioning it. Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad," I said, my voice wavering slightly as I remembered last night. The shouting…the accusations… I was getting tired of it.

"What?" he said, studying my eyes. "What is it? Something happened." He always knew.

"Nothing," I lied promptly. I had so many experience in lying about this subject that it didn't sound fake anymore. "I mean…just the usual, I guess."

"Do you want to come live with us?" he offered. "Carlisle and Esme would love to have you around; they know what's going on, after all. And we have all those spare bedrooms."

I shook my head. "It'll make it worse. Just forget about it, Edward."

The bell rang at that moment, and students began to fill the hallway.

Edward was still staring at me worriedly, but I just shook my head again and led the way inside the classroom.

* * *

I could hear the shouting even before I was within five feet of the door.

Bracing myself, I let myself in quietly. The source of the noise was coming from the kitchen.

"…go to that guy, then?" Charlie was saying loudly. "It's not exactly a secret anymore, is it? I know it, and Bella knows it. Even the Cullens know what's going on-"

"I will not be made the enemy here!" Renee retorted. "It's all your fault for even letting this happen-"

I leaned against the wall next to the kitchen door wearily. It was like this every day. Fighting…arguing…accusing… In fact, I was so used to it that the tears didn't come that easily anymore.

"Yeah?" Charlie asked. A chair scraped across the floor, and I knew he was standing up now. "Well, it's _your_ fault for having such a bad life, having married this kind of a man right after college! If you hate me so much, then you must hate Bella too!"

"How dare you!" Renee shouted. I could almost picture her face right now. "You know how much Bella means to me! How dare you even think that? If there's anyone in this family who doesn't care about Bella, it's you, Charlie Swan!"

"Shut up! Shut up now!" Charlie roared. "You have no right to accuse that of me! Who was the one that went out and found herself a boyfriend? Who was the one that didn't come home that night? Who was the one that got herself caught having an affair?"

"Shut up?" Renee repeated. "Well, that's something, seeing how _you're_ the one who's looking like you're about to explode any minute."

I couldn't take it anymore. I opened the kitchen door so abruptly and loudly that my parents looked at me in half surprise, half fear.

I stared at them, expressionless. "Fighting again, are we?" I asked coldly.

"Bella," Renee stated. She was slightly breathless as she tried to calm down. "When did you get home, honey?"

Charlie sat back down in his chair slowly. He, too, was breathing hard, and was far from calming down.

"You didn't answer my question," I said, still in the same tone. "Mom."

"Fighting?" Renee said, laughing as casually as she could. "Nonsense, Bella. Your father and I were just…having a rather loud conversation. We were getting a bit excited, and… You hungry, baby?" She addressed Charlie.

Charlie smiled forcibly. "Sure. That roast beef ready yet, Renee?"

"Sure," Renee said lightly, turning back to her vegetable slicing. "About thirty more minutes, I think."

"Don't."

They both looked back up in surprise.

"Don't pretend," I said bitterly. "I'm not a fifteen-year old anymore. I'm almost legal, and it's not like I'm stupid either. You two pretending that nothing's wrong like this… Did you know it's making matters worse?"

Charlie looked away, stone-faced, while Renee opened and closed her mouth, thinking about something to say.

"I get it," I said. "You guys hate each other. I understand. Fight, then. Argue. Shout. Do whatever you need to do in order to get it out of your system. But don't _ever_ pretend with me. I'm not an idiot."

"Bella, honey…" Renee began.

But I was already out of sight, marching up the stairs and fighting tears. I slammed the door behind me as loudly as I could and tossed my backpack on my desk.

Below, I could hear the arguing resume.

"I told you she wasn't an idiot-"

"You're the one who-"

I sighed angrily as I plopped down on my rocking chair. I was so tired of this. If they would stop fighting, my life would be perfect…

I needed a distraction. I'd already finished my homework over at the Hales about an hour ago. Music? I didn't have the patience right now.

A shower? It was appealing, but I knew it wasn't what I really needed. Still, I turned on the hot water and stayed under it for twenty minutes before I stumbled back out.

As I dried myself and put on my pajamas, I realized suddenly what I needed. I'd already seen him not an hour ago, but I needed him again.

I was about to call him when Renee called, "Bella! Dinner!"

I didn't want to go back downstairs. It would just make me feel frustrated again. But they would be expecting me to.

Reluctantly, I trudged downstairs and entered the dining room. I sat across from Renee and thanked her quietly when she set a plate of food down in front of me.

Dinner was quiet. Both Charlie and Renee were afraid of upsetting me again, I knew. Once or twice, I caught them shooting disgusted and exasperated looks at each other, but I merely gritted my teeth and kept my eyes on my plate.

I expected a divorce any time now. They'd been going on for two years already, and that alone was a record. They wouldn't be able to stand each other anymore, even if it was for me.

If they did divorce, whom would I live with? Who would get full custody?

I knew that Renee wanted a divorce for sure. She already had a boyfriend. That man was the reason my parents were fighting every single day. Charlie was tired of seeing her happy with another man. He'd want a divorce as well.

Renee cleared her throat, breaking me out of my reverie. "So, Bella. How was school?"

"Fine," I mumbled.

"How are the kids, Bells?" Charlie asked. "Still popular?"

"As always." I shrugged.

"Isn't there a new transfer student?" he asked. "A girl named Tanya Denali, isn't it?"

I glanced at him. "Yeah."

"This is between you and me, yeah?" Charlie said, lowering his voice. The arguments were forgotten at the moment. "We've had some warnings from the Seattle Police Department."

"What kind of warnings?" I sounded bored. Not this again.

"That girl didn't just transfer," Charlie said. "Apparently, she had some trouble back at her old school. She framed some innocent girl of bringing drugs in so that she could get to her boyfriend. Luckily, she got caught at the last minute, and they were going to expel her. But her father's a big shot in Seattle. Took her out of that school before any more harm. Stuck her here in Forks."

I stared at him in surprise. "Do you believe that?"

"Well, now, I wouldn't exactly say that," Charlie said, shrugging. "I haven't seen it for myself, so I don't know. All I'm saying is that it's best to be careful. Don't get too close to her. Just watch from afar…you know, that kind of stuff."

I nodded slowly. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Why don't you ask Alice to come around one of these days?" Renee suggested. "It'd be nice to have her brighten up this house."

I didn't say anything.

It wasn't that I blamed Renee for falling in love with another man. I didn't resent her. I didn't resent Charlie either. But it seemed so silly and difficult. Why were they living this way? If they would both just calm down and talk it out quietly, wouldn't it all work out?

"Any boys that interest you at school?" Charlie asked me.

"Oh, honey, she's too young," Renee chided.

"She's seventeen," Charlie said. "Nearly eighteen. It's the perfect time to be falling in love." He looked at me. "How about Jasper?"

I frowned. "He's dating Alice, Dad. Remember?"

"Emmett?"

"He's dating Rose."

"Edward?"

I sighed, poking at the roast beef with my fork. "He's just a friend, Dad."

"I don't see why you can't be more than friends," Charlie disagreed. "In my eyes, you two seem to be developing into a more intense relationship."

"Now for once, I think you're right," Renee chimed in. "Edward is a wonderful young man, Bella. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Sure…I guess."

"He's the perfect gentleman," she continued. "You can't find anyone like that these days. Thoughtful, intelligent, talented, tall, handsome… Don't you feel anything for him?"

I shrugged. "He's popular, Mom. He doesn't need more attention from girls. Least of all from his best friend."

"Nonsense," Renee said crisply. "He's a fine young man. And you know what? I think he likes you."

I looked up. "Really, Mom? Are we starting this again?"

"No, no, I think he really does like you this time," she said. "You should be dating someone like Edward, not like those guys that _think_ they're cool. What was his name? Mike?" She scoffed. "He only acts cool and thinks he's better than Edward. But he's not cool at all. Now, take Edward. He's modest and doesn't act cool. Which makes him cool. You know?"

I sighed, shaking my head at her haughty tone and silliness. "I highly doubt it, Mom. If Edward liked me, I'm sure he would've shown some reaction."

"Hasn't he been doing that?" Charlie asked teasingly. "I think he started doing that about two years ago, Bells. You know, telling you that he loved you, teasing you, making excuses because he wanted to be with you."

I frowned. "I thought that was just the puberty thing. You know, growing mature and stuff. Coping with stress of peer pressure."

"You're so blind, honey," Renee sighed. "You don't see yourself clearly."

"Mom," I stressed. "If I could attract someone like _Edward's_ attention, then I think I would pretty much have the whole school wired, don't you think?"

"But you do," she put in.

"Only because of Edward and the others," I disagreed.

"That's not it," Charlie said. "It's you. You've earned yourself a reputation all by yourself. I'm sure the Cullens and the Hales would agree."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't think so."

"So who does Edward like then?" Renee asked, her eyebrow raised challengingly.

"I don't know," I said. "He did say that he liked someone, but I don't know who."

"Who is it?" Renee nearly shrieked.

I grimaced. "I just told you that I don't know, and you're going to ask who it is?"

"I mean, did he drop any hints about who he liked?"

I shrugged. "He told me to butt out of his love life."

Charlie started laughing. "It must be you, then."

I sighed. "Are you done teasing? Can I be excused then?"

"No, you cannot," Renee said. "Tell us, honey. We won't tell anyone."

I looked at her. "You probably know better than I do. You two gossip with Carlisle and Esme."

"We do not!"

"Yeah, I'll believe that."

Renee pursed her lips. "How about we have a girl's night out tomorrow, Bella? Just the two of us?"

Charlie stopped eating and looked at her. "Where are you going?"

"Port Angeles," Renee said casually. "Where else?"

"Why are you suddenly keen on having a girl's night out?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. "What are you going to do?"

"Why do you need to know?" Renee retorted. "It's called a _girl's_ night out for a reason, Charlie."

Oh, no. Here they go again.

"What are you going to do?" Charlie repeated.

"We're going to be looking around, of course! Shopping. Eating dinner together."

"And see _him_, maybe?"

Renee glared at him. "With _Bella?_ I don't think so, Charlie."

"I think you're perfectly capable of bringing your daughter to see your boyfriend, Renee," Charlie said sarcastically. "So that she can get used to her future stepfather, perhaps?"

"Are you insinuating that you want a divorce, Charlie?"

"Maybe I am! If you're going to keep doing this-"

"I wouldn't put Bella through that! Besides, do I have to remind you again that-"

Heaving a quiet sigh, I got up and escaped the room unnoticed. Their voices were getting louder every second.

I stopped by the bathroom on my way to my bedroom. I brushed my teeth, then looked at myself in the mirror. I looked tired. After a while, I went back to my room.

I really needed the distraction. I sat underneath my window and hugged my legs to my chest. And I called him.

He answered on the second ring. "Bella. Bored, already?" He chuckled. I could hear laughter in the background. I recognized Carlisle and Esme's harmonized laughter, as Emmett and Alice sang at the top of their lungs.

For the millionth time in my life, I felt envious. The Cullens were one big happy family, while mine was falling apart. The Swans were as small as it is, and it was still tearing apart.

Sometimes, I wished that I could live with the Cullens. I wished that I could have siblings like Edward did, and have a loving mother and father who never fought.

"Bella? Is something wrong?" Edward asked, his tone worried when I didn't answer right away. In the background, the laughter faded, and I knew the others were listening too.

"What are you doing?" I asked softly. The shouting downstairs became louder. And louder.

"We just finished dinner," Edward said carefully. "We were just talking about school, and Emmett and Alice's love lives."

"And singing," I said, smiling ruefully.

"And singing," he agreed. "Why? Did something happen?"

Right on cue, there was a loud crash from the living room, and I knew that they were throwing stuff now. I flinched, and I felt the tears coming.

"Edward…" I whispered, trying hard not to keep my voice from breaking.

He heard the crash. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He was frantic now.

"No. I'm in my room. Can you…can you come over? I need a distraction."

"I'll be there in ten minutes," Edward promised. "Don't worry."

"Thanks," I whispered. As soon as I hung up, I felt lonely again. I winced when glass shattered downstairs. More shouting.

I wished this was all a dream. I wished desperately for a peaceful, quiet house. I wanted them to stop.

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING BELLA ANYWHERE TOMORROW!" Charlie yelled. "DON'T YOU DARE!"

"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Renee shouted back. "YOU CAN'T-"

I squeezed my eyes shut when I heard another shatter. The tears finally spilled and flowed down my cheeks silently.

I didn't know how long I was sitting there. The shouting and sounds of breaking never ceased. They went on. And on. It didn't feel like ten minutes. It felt like ten million hours.

But eventually, I heard a slight tap on my window, created from a pebble thrown from the ground. Swallowing hard, I stood up and slid open the window.

I saw Edward in jeans and a dark hoodie. He climbed up using the tree right outside, then jumped lithely into my room.

"Bella?" he whispered. He saw my tear-streaked face. "Bella!" He sighed as he pulled me into his arms. He rubbed my back soothingly. "It's okay. It's okay…"

There was another crash from downstairs. Renee screamed in defiance. Charlie roared back inaudible words.

"It's getting bad, isn't it?" Edward asked quietly. "I don't think they've ever taken it this far before."

I sniffed. "I'm sorry. I ruined your family's evening, didn't I?"

"Don't be silly, Bella," Edward said, pulling us onto my bed. He dragged the covers over me and laid down next to me. "Of course you didn't."

"I did too," I said. "What did they say?"

He sighed. "They told me to hurry up and go. They knew that you would need me." He wiped away what was left of my tears.

"And I did," I sighed. Even though the shattering and breaking and shouting were still going on, I felt better now that Edward was here with me. "Thanks for coming, Edward."

"Of course," he murmured, stroking my hair. "I'll always be here for you."

I flinched when there was another sharp scream. Edward took my hand and rubbed his thumb on the back of it gently.

"It's okay," he whispered. "Go to sleep." He began humming quietly, and despite the loud background noise, I was somehow able to concentrate on his musical voice.

And sometime during the soft melody, I fell asleep.

* * *

**AN: So what did you guys think? I'm pretty satisfied with this new twist. ;) Let me know in the reviews! And coming up soon…my new story, **_**Desire**_**! Maybe I'll post the first chapter with my next update. We'll see. In the meantime…maybe you can convince me that you're ready for a new story…by reviewing. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8: Impossible

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! Sad, I know. But necessary. Anyhoo, enjoy the next installment!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

When I woke up, it was quiet. There was no sound in the house.

I rolled over and lay down exactly where Edward had been last night. He was gone now, but there was a faint trace of his scent. It comforted me slightly.

When I came out of the bathroom and began my descent down the stairs slowly, I braced myself for what I was about to see.

Sure enough, the entire house was in shambles. Furniture was lopsided, picture frames shattered across the floor, and the curtains were in shreds. Glass strayed everywhere, and bits of vases and flowers littered the floor.

Pressing my lips together to keep the lump in my throat from getting bigger, I ignored the mess for now and made my way into the kitchen.

I stared at the broken leftover plates from last night's dinner. There was a knife sticking on the wall, and the forks were on the floor. And bits of glass, of course.

The refrigerator door was wide open, and it was empty. The food was scattered all around the walls instead.

I knew that my parents weren't home right now. They'd probably stormed out last night, each claiming that they were going to go spend the night elsewhere, and protesting that the other didn't have to leave. But because they were both equally stubborn, they were both gone.

Neither would have gone to the Cullens. Carlisle and Esme would tell them off, yet again, for giving me a hard time. I guessed that Charlie would've gone down to La Push to his friend Billy Black and his son, Jacob. Renee? She was probably cuddled up in cozy blankets over at her boyfriend's house.

And I would be the one to clean up their mess. Again.

I wasn't hungry. So I merely left the kitchen, picked up my bag and keys, and exited the house. I would clean up later.

Because I was so anxious to get out of the house, I ended up being one of the first ones at school. But to my surprise, his Volvo and her M3 were already parked in their usual parking spaces.

I slid in between them neatly and got out. They weren't around their cars, that much was certain. And I knew where they were.

The football team had early morning training this morning. So did the cheerleaders. With the game on Friday, they were training harder than ever.

I walked slowly to the football field. Several teachers walked by, and they nodded at me as they passed. I tried to smile, but it felt like more of a grimace.

The bleachers were empty. Alice wasn't there. And the football field was empty as well. Training must be over. They would be in the locker rooms, getting showered and changed.

I sat down at the top of the bleachers and gazed down at the green field. I felt especially heavy today. There was a burden on my shoulders.

After about ten minutes, I heard the faint noises of conversation coming from the parking lot. Students were arriving, and I was sure my friends would be back at their cars as well. They would be worried about me.

Slowly, I got up and made my way back to the parking lot. My eyes stayed on the floor as my feet dragged my body. I was in no mood to entertain anyone today.

"Bella, where have you been?"

I stopped in front of our cars. My friends were leaning on their cars, staring at me worriedly.

"Do you have any idea how worried we've been?" Alice asked. "We saw your car, but you weren't here. We were looking everywhere for you. Where were you?"

"The bleachers."

"If you missed us, why didn't you come back?" Rosalie asked.

I shrugged. "I didn't feel like it."

"Speaking of which," Emmett said. "Why are you here so early? You don't have early training or anything."

I took my time answering as I leaned on my Audi's hood. "I had to get out of my house."

"Why, what happened?" Jasper asked, immediately worried. When I had to get out of my house, it meant that my parents had had another fight.

I laughed once, humorlessly. "You should see my house. It's a mess. Everything's broken."

Jasper and Rosalie grimaced. Emmett and Alice looked sympathetic. And Edward squeezed my shoulder gently.

"Did you sleep okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded somberly.

"Where are your parents?"

I answered slowly. "I'm pretty sure Charlie's at La Push. As for Renee…" My face soured. "I can guess."

"I'm sorry, Bella," Rosalie said quietly.

"Are you going to have to clean that up again?" Alice asked disgustedly. "Honestly, that's so irresponsible of your parents. They're the ones that made the mess, and you're the one that has to clean it up. You've done nothing wrong."

The bell rang. I shook off Edward's hand on my shoulder and strolled away, my expression blank. None of them followed. When I was in one of these moods, they knew that it was better to leave me alone.

All my teachers asked me what was wrong at least once. I was relieved when it was lunch time. I could escape the adults for a couple minutes. I was getting sick of the mature ones at the moment.

I sat at the edge of the table today. While the jocks and cheerleaders all laughed and played around loudly, I played with my food quietly. Though I had skipped breakfast, I wasn't hungry.

Edward hadn't been able to sit next to, or across from me. A couple cheerleaders had ganged up on him and forced him to sit between them. But he kept glancing down the table at me, looking worried.

Tanya looked at right at home with us. She had passed the audition yesterday, and she was now a member of the pep squad. She was one of the girls sitting next to Edward.

I didn't want to sit here anymore. While the others erupted into hysterical laughter at a joke Emmett had just told, I used the distraction to quickly get up and sneak out.

I headed for the library. The librarian nodded at me, smiling, as I passed. I weaved through the narrow aisles and finally arrived at my favorite study spot.

Except…someone was already there.

"Hi, Angela," I greeted her quietly as I sat down next to her.

Angela Weber looked up, startled, from her Biology book. "Oh, hey, Bella." She smiled. "How long has it been since I last saw my study buddy during lunch?"

I smiled ruefully. "Sorry. The others wouldn't let me come study during lunch."

"Then why are you here now?"

I shrugged as I took out my own Biology book. "Too noisy."

She laughed. "I guess so. But you look kind of upset. Did something happen?" She looked genuinely concerned for me, nothing like what the cheerleaders would've looked.

"I'm fine," I said. "It's just… I'm a bit tired."

She didn't believe me. I could tell. Still, she accepted my excuse and nodded. And for the remaining lunch hour, we studied in silence.

"Where were you?" Edward asked when I sat down next to him in Biology. "I look away for ten seconds and you're not there."

"Sorry," I said. "I was at the library."

"Alone?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"With Angela."

He paused, then nodded. "That's good, I guess. Angela's a good person."

I merely nodded and looked at the teacher pointedly as Banner started his lecture. Edward understood and didn't bother me for the remainder of the period.

Sixth period dragged, and it was a relief to be walking across the parking lot again. I breathed in the fresh, cool air, and felt as though the dreary weather was trying to fit into my mood. I welcomed the loneliness in the air like an old friend at the moment. Though it didn't help my depressed mood, it still felt nice to share it with at least _something_. At least the weather would understand.

"Are you coming over?" Edward asked, no hope in his voice. He knew that I would refuse.

"I should go home," I said quietly. "I'll call you."

He watched, looking slightly frustrated and angry, as I got into my car and drove away.

When I arrived home, the first thing I did was change into more comfortable clothes. And I began to clean up.

Two hours later, the house was spotless once more. Except there were a lot more empty spaces because I'd had to throw out most of the props that had been decorated around the house.

I was exhausted, but I trudged upstairs to do my homework. Within another hour, I was finished, and I plopped down on my bed.

I stared at the ceiling blankly. I wasn't thinking about anything at all. And then, Edward's face floated into my mind.

Who _did_ he like? I wondered. I'd known him for years now. If I didn't have the slightest hunch, then how had his siblings and the Hales found out about his crush? It didn't make sense.

I thought about what Charlie had said last night. _Had_ Edward been flirting these past few years? With me?

I could understand it though. He'd been gaining tons of attention from girls. It was only natural that he flirted with me too.

Though I felt strongly about him as a brother and a friend, I did sometimes wonder what it would be like if I had been something more to him. Whether it was mere curiosity or actual desire, I didn't know.

But I did know this. Even if I did feel as though I did see him as a boy at times, Edward probably didn't see me as a girl. It just didn't make sense to me. I couldn't see it; I couldn't imagine it.

I was so lost in thought that I started when my cell phone began to ring. Sighing wearily, I answered it without looking to see who it was. "Hello?"

"Hi, honey," Renee's voice said cheerily. "Where are you?"

"Home," I replied in a dead voice.

"I'm coming to pick you up right now. So be ready, okay?"

"Be ready…for what?"

"Silly!" Renee laughed. "Remember, I told you that we were going out on a girl's night tonight? We'll go to Port Angeles and maybe catch a movie. We'll have dinner as well."

I sighed. "Mom, I'm a bit tired right now."

"Is this because your father disapproved last night?" she asked. "Don't be silly! He can't stop us from going out on our own. This is a free country, isn't it?"

"That's not it," I said. "I really am tired."

"Please, Bella? I really want to go to Port Angeles with you. It was a hard day at work today."

I closed my eyes. I really didn't want to go. What I really needed was a warm shower and a shoulder to lean on. And automatically, I thought of Edward. I needed him again. I needed him like air to breathe.

"Please, Bella?" Renee asked again.

"Okay," I said slowly. "Be careful while your driving."

"I'll be there in five minutes. I hope your homework's already done."

"It is. See you later."

I knew it would be cold later in the evening, so I chose jeans, a long-sleeve, and a dark hoodie. The black hoodie was the exact same one that Edward had worn when he'd sneaked into my room last night. We'd gotten it at the University of Washington this summer, when we were on a tour. He and I had gotten into an argument because we'd both wanted black. Finally, we'd ended up getting the same color, and claimed that it was a couple hoodie when people asked about it, as an inside joke.

A car honked downstairs, and I hurried down the stairs. I locked the door securely before running through the slight drizzle. I slid into the car's passenger seat, and Renee floored the accelerator.

"Hey, kiddo," she said cheerfully. "Thanks for agreeing to go out with me tonight." She peeked at me to see my reaction.

I didn't say anything.

"How was school?"

"Slow."

She chuckled. "Me too." She hesitated. "Listen, Bella. I know that you must have been extremely upset with us last night. I'm sure you heard the screaming and throwing… I'm sorry we scared you."

I pursed my lips. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

"I'm sure you are," she said ruefully. "But really, Charlie and I…we can never be sorry enough. You're so young and innocent and kind, and you shouldn't be caught in the middle of this. Sorry, Bella. Really."

I nodded once.

"Did you clean up the mess again?" Renee asked suddenly.

"…yeah."

She was silent. Then, she said, in a smaller, wearier voice, "Sorry. I was going to do it."

"It's like my job, isn't it?" I asked. "You guys fight, and I clean up."

Renee sighed. "I'm such a bad mother, aren't I? I can never tell you how sorry I am."

"The house is pretty empty," I said, trying to sound a bit more cheerful. It was hard, and I knew that she wasn't fooled.

"Which is why we're going shopping," Renee said brightly. "We'll go catch a late movie, eh? Shop around, watch a movie, then we'll go eat dinner. Sound good?"

"Sure."

Suddenly, my phone rang.

"It's Edward, isn't it?" Renee asked teasingly, laughing. "Tell him that I'm sorry I'm stealing you away tonight."

I rolled my eyes before picking up. "Edward."

"Bella," Edward said. "Can you come over? I'm bored."

I smiled slightly. "I'm not your toy."

"Close enough. You're so small."

"Say that to Alice."

"You seem in a better mood," he noted, sounding relieved. "Will you come over? Alice is driving me nuts, and Emmett's driving me even nuttier because Rose is here. They're making out in his bedroom, but it's getting a bit noisy. I need a distraction."

"Sorry, but I can't. Mom and I are on our way to Port Angeles for a girl's night out."

He paused. "It's been a while."

"I know."

"But I miss you already," he complained, reverting back into whining mode and making me laugh softly. "How am I going to endure for the rest of the evening without seeing you once? You didn't even come over today."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Will you call me when you get in?" Edward asked.

"Do I have to?"

"Bella…" he whined.

"Okay, stop whining."

"Good. Have fun."

"That boy really is crazy about you, isn't he?" Renee asked conversationally when I'd put my phone away.

"Mom. Don't start that again."

She chuckled. "I can't help it. Besides, who was the one that comforted you last night while Charlie and I were raging at each other?"

I turned my head to look at her, horrified. "How did you…?"

Renee grinned. "I'm not an idiot either, Bella. He's been sneaking into your room for two years now, hasn't he? I hope you two haven't been doing anything inappropriate."

"Mom!"

"Well, actually, I wouldn't really mind now," Renee said, continuing as though she hadn't heard me. "You're seventeen – nearly eighteen – and I suppose that's a reasonable age. Still, I hope you use protection. I trust you."

"_Mom,"_ I emphasized. "I told you. Edward and I aren't like that. I just needed someone there for me while you guys were screaming and throwing things. And Edward was nice enough to be patient and comfort me."

"True," she sighed. "I really am thankful to Edward. Really I am. I hope he'll always be there for you. You may not think that way now," she added when I opened my mouth to protest again. "But believe me, you'll feel differently soon. Very soon, I think. He's probably getting desperate."

"Desperate?"

"Because he wants you so much." She winked.

I groaned. "You're impossible. What would Edward say if he heard you?"

"He would agree, of course. And ask me for your hand. And I would say hand you over. Willingly."

I groaned again. Parents. They were impossible.

* * *

**AN: I have to say, I'm so, unconditionally thankful to each and every fan that reviewed for this story. We already reached over one hundred reviews, and it's not even the tenth chapter yet! So thank you, thank you! ;) And keep 'em coming! Thanks so much, guys!**


	9. Chapter 9: Silly

**Author's Note: Let's see what happens next! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"This will look good on you," Renee mused. She handed the dress to me. "Go try it out."

"Mom, you know I don't do dresses."

"Which is why I want you to try it on. You're going to be wearing dresses everywhere from now on."

I frowned. "I already have Alice nagging me about how I always dress horribly. Leave me alone, Mom."

"Please?"

I pouted, but I took the dress and disappeared inside the dressing room. Two minutes later, I came back out, feeling slutty.

"Aw, how cute!" Renee gushed. "Twirl around for me, sweetie."

I did so, and the skirt bloated prettily. But I felt exposed underneath.

"We'll buy that for you," Renee said happily. "Here, I picked out a white sweater to go along with it. Pretty, isn't it?" She held the sweater up.

I liked the sweater, but I hated the dress. "Okay, fine."

She squealed softly and turned back to the clothes while I ducked back inside the dressing room.

I couldn't rein in my own mother, and at the end of our shopping spree, I had fifteen new dresses, five pairs of flats, a pair of stilettos, and a bunch of accessories. Especially earrings.

I'd gotten my ears pierced about a year ago, when Alice and Rosalie had dragged me to a tattoo parlor, saying that it'll look good on me. They practically forced me to get it from this huge guy with dragons all over his body.

Of course, Renee had been thrilled that I'd gotten my ears pierced – I'd been refusing to do it ever since kindergarten. She bought me a bunch of earrings ever since then, and now, I had a huge box full of them at home. And I was about to add, like, twenty pairs more.

I never wore them. I was someone who wore boring studs all the time. I wasn't one of those pretty girls that strutted around school wearing huge, noisy dangly earrings and dangerous high heels. And I could never imitate them, even if I tried.

"What movie do you want to watch, Bella?" Renee asked as she drove us to the movie theatre.

"I don't care. What do you want to watch?"

Renee looked thoughtful. "Isn't there a new action movie out? The one that everyone was so excited about."

"There are tons of action movies that people are excited about, Mom."

"The one that's a series," she put in. "They told me that they made the first one back in '88. The first one had that creepy guy from Harry Potter, I think."

"Oh, Die Hard?" I realized. "You want to watch that?"

Renee grinned. "I hope it isn't too scary for me."

"They use a lot of bad words. Do you think you can handle it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Bring it on!"

For nearly three hours, we enjoyed the pretty pictures that kept flashing by. There was fire, profanities, and father-son action. It was really good.

"That was a good movie," Renee said happily as we came out. "But I'm hungry now."

"You just had a large bag of popcorn."

"Let's go eat in the Italian restaurant," she said, perking up. "What do you say?"

"Sure."

She smiled innocently, but I began to wonder if there really was another reason that she had wanted a girl's night out. And where had she gotten the money to buy me all those clothes? And the Italian restaurant? It wasn't exactly cheap either. We only went there when we were eating out with the Cullens, and they always paid for us.

The restaurant was quiet with only a few customers. Renee looked around carefully before brightening up when she saw a good-looking man sitting at the way corner. She dragged me over, and, to my surprise, sat across from him.

The man smiled up at me. And I realized who he was, and I also realized what my mother had been doing all afternoon. She'd been softening me up. Charlie had been right. She'd been planning to meet her boyfriend all along.

"Sit, Bella," Renee urged happily. There was a renewed spark in her eyes. It was never there when she was with Charlie.

My expression hardening instantly, I sat next to her reluctantly.

"Bella, this is Phillip Dwyer," my mother said. "He's a…friend." She glanced at the man, who nodded slightly in reassurance.

"Nice to meet you, Bella," the man said, smiling warmly. "I've heard a lot about you."

My lips were pressed into a thin, disapproving line. I didn't reply.

Renee nudged me gently. "Bella. You're being rude."

Slowly, I said, "Nice to meet you as well, Mr. Dwyer."

"Please, call me Phil," he said.

"Fine," I said, unsmiling. "So, Mom." My tone turned sarcastic. "Where did you meet Phil?"

Renee looked startled. "Oh, um… I met him at school. You know, at the elementary school where I work. He was looking around the place with his baseball coach because he was interested in teaching the kids there during PE. Phil plays baseball, you know."

"Strictly minor league," Phil said, smiling wryly.

"How long have you known each other?" I asked.

"Two years," Renee answered promptly.

I was silent. Then, I said quietly, "Mom. How can you do this to Dad?"

Her smile faded. "What…what do you mean?"

"I knew about your boyfriend, Mom," I said flatly. "It wasn't exactly a secret. And I didn't really care. I knew that you and Charlie's relationship wasn't exactly going well, and I didn't blame you for falling in love with another man. But I didn't think you would do this. Why are you introducing me to a man that isn't my father?"

"Bella-" Phil began.

"Charlie was right," I said, rising from my seat. "You were the one who started all this. It's your fault that he and I are going through this right now. Have fun with your boyfriend, Mom." I snatched the keys from her bag and marched out of there.

"Bella!" Renee called after me. But I didn't look back.

I started her car and shot out of there. Phil would probably take her home. To _his_ home. And I was pretty sure Charlie wasn't coming in tonight either.

I would be alone.

* * *

It was eight-thirty when I arrived home. I sighed wearily as I stripped and turned on the shower. I stood under the warm water for a long time. I lost track after a while.

I trudged back downstairs after I'd dressed in comfortable clothes. I knew that I had to eat something, but I wasn't hungry at all. Besides there was no food in the house.

It wasn't until after I'd been watching the news blankly for a while that I remembered that I'd promised to call Edward. So I took out my phone and called him.

"Hello?"

"Still bored?"

Edward laughed. "Bearable. Did you have fun?"

I sighed, staring at the moving pictures on the screen. "It was fun at first. And then, Renee took me to that Italian restaurant."

"And?"

"And her boyfriend was there, waiting for us. She'd planned it all from the very beginning."

He was silent. Then, he said, "So you're alone now?"

"You're good."

"I know you, Bella. I'm guessing you didn't have dinner yet?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Bella, I'm pretty sure you didn't eat anything all day. Do you want me to come over?"

I hesitated. Honestly, I really wanted to see him right now. If I saw him, I felt like I would be content again.

"Yes. Please."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," he told me.

"Why twenty?" It usually took him less than ten minutes to get here with his crazy driving.

"Just keep the doors locked. I'll let myself in, so don't worry. I'll see you soon." And he hung up.

I did as he instructed, and true to his word, he arrived exactly twenty minutes later. He was holding a small pizza box and a liter of Coke.

"Pizza?" I said, raising my eyebrow as he set it down on the floor in front of me.

"I knew you weren't going to eat much, so I ordered a small," Edward said, shrugging off his jacket. "That's okay, right?"

I nodded slowly. "Thanks, Edward."

He smiled as he patted the floor next to him. I slid off the couch and joined him on the floor.

"Aren't you eating?" I asked as I took a small bite of a slice.

He shook his head. "I had dinner." He stared at me. "Are you upset?"

"I'm okay now." I shrugged. "I don't care if she has a boyfriend or not. But it's just that it felt like I was betraying Charlie or something. I knew that he didn't want me to see the guy."

"So you stormed out of there?"

"Basically, yeah. I stole Renee's car, but I probably don't need to worry about her."

"Probably," Edward agreed. He leaned against the couch and watched me eat.

"So?" I said, wanting to change the subject. "Anything fun happen while I was gone?"

He shrugged. "The usual." His expression darkened. "Tanya won't leave me alone. Thanks to you."

I suppressed a smile. "That's good. Why don't you ask her out?"

"Do you really want me to go out with her?" Edward asked seriously. "Really?"

"What's wrong with her? She's pretty, rich, and she seems intelligent."

He rolled his eyes. "And slutty."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. "How do you know?"

"Because she talks dirty, dresses dirty, and acts dirty." He sighed wearily. "I'm so tired of those kinds of girls. They're always out to get to me. It gets so tiring." He looked at me. "Do you have a date for homecoming yet?"

"Homecoming is in two weeks, Edward," I said, rolling my eyes. "Are people already freaking out about it?"

"Pretty much, yeah. So? Do you?"

"You know I don't do dances, Edward," I said reproachfully.

"So you're not even going to accept if someone asks you?"

"Nope."

"You'll be home alone again?"

"That's better than being out at some party, wearing semi-formal and drinking. And pretending that you're enjoying yourself."

He smiled. "Maybe I should stay with you this year."

"Why? Go have fun. Make trouble."

"Or…do you want to be my date?"

I tore my eyes away from the TV screen to look at him. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." He looked one hundred percent serious.

After a while, a smile appeared on my lips, and I started laughing.

Edward frowned. "What? You don't want to?"

"Thanks for asking, but no thanks," I said, still giggling. "I'm not going." My eyes twinkled. "What's with the sudden invitation?"

Edward shrugged, looking slightly disappointed. "It's better to go with a friend than be with a cheerleader that expects you to kiss them at the end of the dance and drag them to some hotel. I'm tired of it."

"You didn't have to do it," I said, my tone flat now. I'd never approved of what Edward did with those girls. "But I guess it'll always be sex in high school."

Edward smiled ruefully. "It's true that I have some experience, but I'm not proud of it, Bella. Don't worry." He winked.

"Well, at least you feel _some_ remorse," I mumbled.

He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Don't do what I did," he said softly. "Hold onto your innocence until you find someone you really, really love." He paused. "Are you really going to say no to me?"

I laughed. "Go with someone else. Take your ex-girlfriends or something."

He made a face. "They're called 'ex-girlfriends' for a reason, Bella. And remember, I was the one who dumped all of them."

"Love is silly," I scoffed. "It just stands in the way of everyone."

Edward studied the pizza in front of us. Finally, he reached over and grabbed a small slice, saying flatly, "You're right."

* * *

**AN: I watched Die Hard 5: A Good Day to Die Hard a few weeks ago. I'd always been a Die Hard fan, so I thought it was pretty good. Too short for my liking, but awesome. I loved the way Bruce Willis had like, ten lives, and I also loved the way he wrecked a perfect 911 Turbo by driving a car over it. =)**

**So what'd you think? Like it? Reviews, please!**


	10. Chapter 10: Guiltiness

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! I'm thrilled by the attention this story is receiving. Keep 'em coming! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

I didn't see my parents for another week. My father stayed down at La Push, calling me once in a while to check how I was doing. Renee? She didn't even call. I supposed that she was having the time of her life over at Phil's house.

Even though I knew that I was wrong, I really loved having the house to myself. No more shouting…no more cleaning up broken shards of vases…no more tears or splitting headaches from the arguments…

During that week, the football team managed to win the game again. Tanya turned out to be a really great cheerleader. Rumors quickly spread to tell everyone that she was one of the best.

I knew that she was hitting on my best friend these days. Sometimes, Edward and Tanya didn't show up at lunch, and we knew that he was busy escaping her eager clutches. And then, he would walk into Biology after lunch, looking pissed and cursing under his breath.

It was getting to be a routine for us. Edward would escape somewhere new each time straight after fourth period, and Tanya would immediately set out to look for him. And it became a habit for me to look up frequently from my seat, waiting impatiently for him to come join me for class.

I knew that I had been the one to introduce him to her, and I'd been the one to support their relationship. But now…I wasn't so sure.

I didn't like the fact that Edward was having a hard time because of the one thing that I'd done. I guess I hadn't been helping him get over his crush after all.

I watched, yet again, as he came in through the doorway of our Biology classroom, looking annoyed as usual. He pursed his lips into a thin line as he sat next to me.

"Sorry," I said for the hundredth time. This was another one of my habits that I'd developed. Every time he came in and sat down next to me, I would apologize.

Edward gave me an irritated look. "I told you to stop that. It's not your fault; how many times do I have to tell you?"

"I introduced you to her," I mumbled, looking down at my notebook guiltily. "I tried talking to her today, but she just laughed and said that she'll be able to get to you."

He sighed as he lay down his head on the table, facing me. He smiled ruefully. "I got raped."

I looked at him sharply.

"Well, not really," he admitted. "But she cornered me and…" He wrinkled his nose. "I don't know how she manages to find me every time, but that girl is really strong. Even I wasn't able to restrain her. So therefore…" He glared at me halfheartedly. "You so owe me, Isabella."

I winced. "She stole a kiss?"

He sighed again. "She had red lipstick on today."

I couldn't help it. I laughed quietly. "You washed it off?"

"I just came from the bathroom," he confirmed.

"But you missed something," I said softly, reaching out and touching a slight red mark on his white shirt.

He looked down in mild surprise. "Huh. I'll throw the shirt away later."

I smiled slightly. I felt bad for him. If I could do something – anything at all – to take back my actions so that Edward can be comfortable again, I would do it.

"You owe me," Edward repeated. "What do you want to do for me?"

"Whatever you want," I promised. "It's the least I can do."

He smiled. "That does make me feel a little better. I'll think about it." He winked before straightening up again.

"Hey, Bella," Mike said, arriving at our table. He leaned toward me slightly, sniffing. "Are you wearing perfume?"

I looked at him like he was crazy. "No."

"Oh, that's me," Edward realized. "Tanya smelled like she dumped an entire bottle of perfume on her. It must have rubbed off when we were…you know."

Mike looked at him with wide eyes. "Dang! You kissed her?"

"No, man. Are you insane?" Edward looked like he could slap Mike.

"Oh," Mike said. He shrugged. "So did she ask you to Homecoming?"

Edward looked surprised. "How do you know that?"

"She told everyone that she was going to ask you to the dance this morning."

Edward looked sullen. "Yeah, she did."

"What'd you say?" Mike asked. "I hope you did everyone a favor and said yes."

Edward groaned miserably. "She can be so persistent. She was whining and begging, and… I had to say yes to shut her up."

I looked at him, alarmed. "You're taking Tanya to Homecoming?" It came out louder than I thought. Several people looked around at us in surprise.

I couldn't help it. As soon as I'd heard the news, I felt a jolt of part shock, part hurt, and part disbelief. I didn't know why I was so shocked; I should've guessed. But I still felt uncomfortable that he was going with someone else.

Edward nodded. "Like I said, you owe me big time."

"Yeah, um, but that's not why I was here," Mike said, clearing his throat. "I wanted to ask you something."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "I know what you're going to ask her, and you might as well leave, Mike, because she's going to tell you no."

"Man, what's wrong with you?" Mike complained. "You're not taking her to Homecoming, so why are you so protective?"

Edward blinked. He looked taken aback at the question, and looked as though he was struggling to find an answer.

"You're asking me to Homecoming?" I asked Mike in mild surprise.

He nodded, still glaring at Edward.

"Sorry, Mike, but you know I'm not one for dances." I smiled at him apologetically.

"Every year," Mike muttered. "I'm not surprised. Well, I had to try. Are you going with someone else?"

"No, unless someone drags me."

"And by someone, you mean Alice and Rosalie," Mike said knowingly. "I'm sure I'll see you there then." He strolled away, back to his own seat.

"What's wrong with you?" I nudged Edward. "Can't a guy ask me out?"

Edward gave me a sharp look. "You've got to be kidding me. I can't let my best friend go out with a player like Mike Newton. You deserve so much better."

"You're going with Tanya, and I'm not saying anything," I pointed out.

His expression soured. "You're calling me a hypocrite."

"No, I'm not," I sighed. "Look. If it upsets you so much, then just go tell Tanya that you can't take her to Homecoming."

"I can't," he said, his expression surly. "She made me promise. She literally made me sign a paper that had the promise written down."

I busted out laughing. "That's hilarious!"

Edward tapped his pencil on the table, looking extremely annoyed now. "Are you done laughing?"

"I'm…sorry…!" I choked out. "But that's just…" I burst into a fresh new set of giggles.

"If you keep laughing, I'm not going to let you sleep tonight!" he shot at me.

I stopped laughing at once. The last time he'd said that, he'd meant it. He'd been so freakishly creepy, sneaking into my bedroom late at night and trying to snuggle under the covers with me. He kept poking me and teasing me until nearly two hours later, at three in the morning, I finally apologized for telling Alice where he was with his girlfriend when I obviously knew that she disapproved of her. Alice had driven all the way to Port Angeles just to lash out at the poor girl and drag her brother back home forcibly.

He watched me, satisfied when I avoided his gaze and glared at the front of the room.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

He looked thoughtful, as though he hadn't heard my apology. "I thought of something I want you to do for me. You owe me, after all."

"What?" I asked flatly. His favors were never beneficial to me.

He smiled. "It's nothing hard."

His smile was too innocent. I didn't trust him. I just knew it was going to be a hard favor.

"What?" I repeated.

"Come to Homecoming with me."

I looked at him like he was insane. "You already have a date, Edward."

He shrugged. "Come alone. I want to use you as my getaway from Tanya at the dance."

My eyes narrowed. "I'm not a toy. No."

His face immediately altered into a comical expression of desperation. "Please, Bella? Please, please, please, please, please?"

"No way."

"Fine, then. I take back my words. Just come to enjoy it. And you can help monitor Tanya and save me when I need your help."

"I don't want to be used, even by you," I said severely. "But there's something I hate even more than being used, Edward Cullen, and you should know it."

He sighed wearily. "Is dressing up really that bad?"

"Yes. If I say that I'm going to that dance, Alice and Rose will freak and will not let me out of the bathroom for hours until I'm pampered into Bella Barbie. No way."

He glared at me. "You're going. I'll force you."

"You can't force me to do anything unless you want to undress me yourself."

He smirked. His eyes flickered down to my chest and lingered there.

I turned away, blushing. "Never mind what I said."

My words had been a mistake. Edward never got embarrassed when it came to personal things. If more, he teased me about my body shape quite frequently. He loved embarrassing me.

"Try me," Edward said, amused. "I can do that anytime. Gladly."

"Shut up," I mumbled. "There won't be anything to see."

"Wrong," he sang softly. "You don't realize how many boys would love to undress you." His expression darkened, and he was glaring at Mike. "Like him."

"You just love embarrassing me, don't you?" I asked darkly, glaring at him. "If you want to see something, I'm sure Tanya is more than willing to-"

He turned back to look at me, his eyes narrowed. "No. I'd rather see my best friend than _her_." He shuddered at the thought.

I didn't know if I should be flattered or not.

At that moment, Banner came inside and called order. The class somewhat quieted as he took attendance.

"Homecoming is this Friday, Bella," Edward said, speaking in a low voice now. "There's plenty of time to change your mind; it's only Tuesday."

"In your dreams."

He sighed, but let the matter rest.

I zoned out, staring blankly at Banner. If only I had a crush on someone. Then I would probably agree to go to the dance. Just to see him.

I was curious though. I'd never been to any dance in high school. Even when a senior had asked me to be his date at prom last year, I'd refused. I'd never seen anyone I know dressed formally. _Should _I go?

No, no, I told myself quickly. You have studying to do. Don't think about anything like that.

Another part of my brain opened up, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was someone I wanted to see in a tux or a dress.

Was there?

* * *

**AN: Ooh-la-la! A lot of teasing here, eh? Reviews, please!**


	11. Chapter 11: Truth

**Author's Note: Dun-dun-dun! You'll see why. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"Bella!"

I paused on my way to my car, then turned. I smiled in greeting at Alice and Rosalie. "Hey, guys."

"Where's Edward?" Alice demanded.

I blinked. Why was she in such a foul mood? The last time I'd seen her at lunch, she'd been as cheerful as always.

"Where is he?" she growled. I could've sworn that I'd literally seen her spiky black hair sparkling with electricity. "I'm going to kill him. I swear I will."

I looked at Rose. "What'd I miss?"

"I'm sure you didn't miss anything," Rosalie answered, rolling her eyes at Alice's dramatic words and attitude. "She's angry because Edward is taking Tanya to the dance."

"Oh." I turned again and began walking away.

"How can you be so freaking calm about this?" Alice asked, her tone an octave higher than usual from anger. She trailed me like a puppy, looking frustrated. "He's your best friend!"

Rosalie followed us, her expression bored and somewhat resigned. "Look, Alice. If Edward wants to go with Tanya, there's nothing we can do about it. Why don't you give up?"

"He doesn't _want_ to!" Alice shot at her. "I just know it. Right, Bella? I'm sure he told _you_!"

I shrugged.

Alice looked ready to explode from our indifference. "You guys! You can't just let this go! We have to save him from himself!"

"Please, Alice," I said as we reached my car. "Let's cut the drama, eh?"

"You can_not_ possibly be fine with this!" Alice said, shutting the car door that I'd just opened. She was glaring at me so ferociously that I almost flinched. "Edward should be going to Homecoming with _you_, not that slut!"

My eyes widened as I pointed at myself, mouthing silently, _Me?_

"Yes, you," Alice emphasized. "You blind girl. How can you _not_ know Edward's feelings for you? He's loved you ever since you were young-"

"Alice," Rosalie warned.

"What's the point?" Emmett interjected, his head popping out from behind my car. "It's pretty obvious, babe. Might as well tell her now."

Jasper appeared behind him, his hands in his pocket. "True."

Rosalie sighed, relenting. "Alright, fine. Alice, go ahead. Rave."

I stared at the four of them, open-mouthed. "Are you serious?"

"Do you need to have _everything_ spelled out for you?" Alice nearly snarled. "Edward has been waiting for you to realize his feelings for you for years now. He's loved you ever since he first laid his eyes on you. And even now, you're so blind! How do you think he feels whenever you dismiss his way of showing affection as a mere 'friend thing'?"

I frowned. "That doesn't make sense at all, Alice. If Edward really likes me in _that_ way, then why hasn't he told me?"

"HE DID!" Alice yelled so abruptly that I flinched violently. "SO MANY TIMES! YOU WERE THE DENSE ONE!"

"What's going on?" Edward's voice rang out. He arrived behind Emmett and Jasper's frozen, suddenly nervous forms. He peeked over their shoulders and found Alice glaring at me while I stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Alice?" he asked. "Bella? What's going on?"

Alice turned to glare at him. "You! How dare you show your face here?"

Edward blinked. "What?"

"I thought you wanted to see him so that you could kill him?" Rosalie asked dryly.

"What'd I do now?" Edward asked.

I was still staring at Alice, disbelieving. What she had just said… Could it be true?

"How could you say yes to her?" Alice snapped. "To Tanya Denali?"

Edward's confusion cleared from his eyes. "Oh." He dismissed Alice's anger like it wasn't anything. "Bella, you're coming over, right?"

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen!" Alice burst out. "Will you pay attention to me, please?"

"Bella?" Edward was staring at me expectantly, his eyes full of hope and longing.

Slowly and with difficulty, I turned my shocked eyes onto him. He frowned in confusion. "What…is going on?"

Suddenly, everything made sense. His way of speaking toward me…his affectionate actions…his protectiveness against other boys…

I couldn't believe it. Alice was right. It had been right in front of my nose this whole entire time. I just hadn't been paying attention.

I'd even introduced him to my friend, totally oblivious to his obvious feelings towards _me. _That girl he'd claimed to have a crush on…

Me.

I was such an idiot.

"Bella?" Edward repeated, slowly this time. "What…? Bella!"

I'd whirled around abruptly and gotten into my car. I shut the doors immediately, and started the ignition. Then, leaving my stunned friends, I backed out of the parking space and zoomed out of that parking lot.

I didn't want to see Edward right now.

#$%^&()

As soon as I arrived home, I opened the door with the key under the mat. I took the key with me inside instead of placing it back under like I usually did. I shut the door and locked it.

I leaned against it, breathing heavily, then sank down to the floor.

How could I have not seen it? Now that Alice had pointed it out, it was too obvious. I was such an idiotic person.

Would they tell him? Would they tell him that I knew now?

I flinched when my ringtone suddenly filled the silent house. I took my phone out shakily, and saw that Edward was calling.

I declined his call. I wasn't ready to face him, or even talk to him yet. I was so confused. How was I supposed to react when I'd just found out that my childhood friend had had loved me in a very different way ever since we were young? It was impossible to be near him anymore. I wouldn't know how to act.

It couldn't possibly be true, could it? Even though there were so many evidences in our time together, I couldn't help but hope that maybe Alice had been wrong.

It must have been her hopefulness. Her fervent wish that Edward and I would end up together must have controlled her today because she was angry with Edward for taking Tanya to the dance… Yes, that must have been it.

Even so…

I shook my head vigorously, trying to keep my other self, the suspicious one, from expressing its opinion.

No. Edward and I were friends. Nothing more. We'd always been, and we'd always will be.

Right?

I shook my head again. Stop it, Bella! I scolded myself. Don't doubt anything. Nothing is going to change. Nothing.

My phone rang again. Without thinking, I shoved it away from me. I stared at the device in disgust. Why was it that, even though I'd convinced myself that it couldn't be true, I couldn't help but doubt everything?

**Edward's Point of View**

"You _what_?" I yelled.

"Well, someone had to do it!" Alice defended herself stubbornly. "You were getting so incredibly frustrating that I decided to do it for you. The stage is set now, isn't it? Now, it's your turn to go and play your own role."

"Alice Cullen," I growled. "How dare you? She won't talk to me anymore! Are you going to take responsibility if she refuses to even see me now?"

"It's simple, Edward!" Alice said. "If she refuses to talk to you, it may be a sign that she likes you back! If she doesn't believe what I just told her, then it'll be your job to tell her personally how you feel about her! If she refuses you, then you have your answer. If she hesitates at all, then you have a chance. Then, you can go after her freely!"

I sighed angrily. "You just wrecked my seventeen-year old friendship with Isabella Swan. Do you realize that?"

"Friendship!" Alice sneered. "A boy and a girl that are _friends_ can never _remain_ as friends! It's just not possible!"

"It could've been, for us!" I shot back. "I told you that I was giving up, didn't I?"

"Please," she said. "You couldn't get over her in a million years. Don't try to fool anyone."

Still glaring at my sister, I took out my phone and pressed speed dial one. The call went through, but Bella didn't pick up. After three rings, the operator came on.

"She's declining my call," I snarled. "Already."

"She must be confused," Rosalie reasoned. "Give her some space."

I glared at all of them before turning to leave in my own car. "I'm not taking you home today."

"Good luck, man!" Emmett called as I drove away.

I tried calling again as I drove to her house. Still no answer. I pounded on the steering wheel, frustrated with both my sister and Bella. Did she really believe that this would change our friendship? I wasn't planning on losing her.

Ever.

I parked next to Bella's car and rushed to the front door. I checked the doormat. Of course. The key was gone. She must have taken it inside with her.

I rang the doorbell, then pounded on the door. "Bella!"

The house was absolutely quiet. Not a peep.

"Bella!" I called, pounding on the door again. I was getting angry. "Open the door!"

Still no response.

"Bella, please!"

Nothing.

I closed my eyes briefly before reopening them. "If you're going to be silly, just listen, okay?"

I paused, then went on. "What Alice said. Don't let any of what she said bother you. You know how she's always wanting us to be more than friends. Just pretend like it's one of her plans to get us together. Don't listen to her! I'm not going to lose you because my sister suddenly decided to be stupid and say those things to you.

"I'll leave today, but I don't want you to refuse my calls anymore. And I'll be expecting you to be yourself and not avoid me tomorrow. Do you understand, Isabella?"

I paused, then turned to leave. I sighed, frustrated, as I got back inside my car. I just hoped she would listen to me.

**Bella's Point of View**

I listened as he shouted what he had to say through the door. And I waited until the sound of his car faded away.

The fact that he hadn't denied what Alice had said hadn't gone unnoticed by me. I noticed everything. And I wished that I didn't.

_Just pretend…_ He hadn't denied ever having feelings for me. He'd only told me to pretend. That was a good enough confirmation.

What was I supposed to do now?

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**AN: You see now? **_**She knows.**_** Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Heh. Reviews, please!**


	12. Chapter 12: Fake

**Author's Note: So…! Let's get the show on the road!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

I hadn't slept a wink last night, thinking about Alice's words. And Edward's words. How can he just expect me to ignore what she'd said?

This was about our seventeen-year old friendship. I couldn't disregard it. This was something new. This was something bad.

And what about Tanya? I understood now why Edward had been so unhappy with me for hooking them up together. What was I supposed to do now? I was stuck in a freaking love triangle.

As I drove to school, I wondered if I was going to avoid him. Should I? _Would_ I? Was it necessary?

I didn't want anything to change, if possible. I'd always been satisfied with being Edward's friend. I'd been happy to be standing one step back from him, and let him have all the popularity and attention. I'd accepted long ago that that had been my place.

Now?

I didn't even know. I had no intention of becoming Edward Cullen's girlfriend. No way. People in this small town would never shut up about it.

I parked in my usual place, thankful that the Cullens and Hales weren't here yet. Sighing in relief, I slid out and reached back in for my backpack.

"Hey, Bella!"

I was so startled that I bumped my head on the roof as I came back out. Grimacing and rubbing my sore spot, I turned to see Tanya leaning on my car, looking amused.

"Clumsy as usual," she said, winking.

I gave her a weak smile. "Hey, Tanya."

"I was just thinking," she said. "I hope you aren't too upset that Edward's taking me to Homecoming. After all, you're the one that pushed me to go after him."

I stared at her blankly. "Why would I be upset about that?"

"Well…" Tanya looked uncomfortable. "I heard what happened yesterday. In fact, the whole school knows now."

"_What?_"

She nodded. "Edward's loved you from childhood, right? I was thinking that maybe it was also vice versa as well."

"How does the whole school know?"

Tanya frowned. "I'm not sure, actually. But I hope you don't mind." She watched me carefully.

Although I was making a face, I shook my head. "No, no. I don't mind. Go have fun with him." I smiled at her weakly.

When Tanya flashed her eyes, there was something in them that made me want to look again. It scared me. It was as if…she was contemplating to kill.

But I must have been mistaken, because she smiled brightly. "Good. I'm glad. Do you have a date for the dance, Bella?"

"No, I'm not going at all." I began walking toward the buildings.

"What?" Tanya sounded surprised as she followed me. "You're kidding, right? Did no one ask you?"

"No, they asked me. I'm just not going. I never go."

"You should come!" Tanya enthused. "It'll be so much fun!"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I doubt it."

"If you don't want a date, why don't you just come alone? There are a lot of people who are coming with their friends."

I wished that she would just leave me alone. "I'll think about it." Anything to keep her quiet about the dance. I was getting a headache.

"Great!" Tanya said, smiling. "Maybe you can become Homecoming Princess or something."

I laughed. "Right." As if.

Tanya looked back at the parking lot. "Oh! Edward's here. Bye, Bella!"

I kept walking and didn't look back. Edward and I had classes together. I was never going to get away with avoiding him. Acting normal would be the right answer. But I didn't want to meet him so early in the morning.

Sighing, I resigned myself to an awkward relationship with the boy I'd been friends with since forever.

**Edward's Point of View**

"Edward!" Tanya's shrill voice pierced through my ear as soon as I got out of the car.

I winced slightly and tried my best to ignore her.

She pouted as she flounced by my side, following me. "Come on, Edward. At least say hi to me."

I paused next to Bella's car. She was here already. Why hadn't she waited for us like she usually did? Did this mean that she was going to ignore me?

"Edward," Tanya insisted. "Look at me! Are you listening?"

"Tanya," Emmett said, looking annoyed. "It's barely seven-thirty in the morning. How about you tone it down a little?"

Tanya blinked back at him. "Huh?"

"That's a good idea," Alice chimed in. She glanced at her distastefully. "Why don't you wait until lunch before you decide to be obsessive over our brother?"

Tanya let out a shrill laugh. "Oh, you two! You're so funny, as always! Come on, Edward. Let's go!" She linked her arm with mine.

I tore my gaze away from Bella's car and looked at her sharply. "Let me go."

She pouted. "You're not being very nice. What's the matter?"

"I have no intention of being stalked first thing in the morning," I said coldly. I yanked my arm away and began walking away. Of course, she still wouldn't give up easily.

"Edward," she whined as she trailed behind me like a little puppy. "What's wrong with you? You might as well pay attention to your date to the dance."

I could almost see my siblings rolling their eyes as they followed two feet away from me.

Resisting the urge to cover my ears and sing loudly to drown out her annoying nasal voice, I walked faster. She still followed me.

Students who had already arrived were by their car with their friends, looking excited as they gossiped about something.

"…what she said!" a cheerleader was saying to her friends eagerly. "Alice told Bella that Edward's loved her ever since they were young!"

I stopped dead, and turned my gaze to them, shocked. How did they know?

"Ah, jeez," Emmett said from behind me. "It looks like the whole school knows."

I turned around to glare at Alice. She shrugged helplessly, looking guilty. "I can't help it if some people overheard it and told everyone."

"Oh, about that," Tanya said indifferently. "I asked if Bella minded me going to the dance with you this morning. She said that it's fine and to go have fun with you."

Incredulous, I looked at her. "Why would you do something like that?"

"She's my friend," Tanya said loftily. "I care about what my friend thinks about."

I was a fool if I believed that. I laughed in disbelief. "You, Tanya Denali, are the most fake person in the entire world. Do you think I'll see through that? You don't consider Bella as a friend at all, do you? You only befriended her to get into the cheer squad and become popular."

Tanya looked surprised. "Of course not! I care about Bella!"

"Cut the crap, Tanya," I said angrily. "You're not going to get away with whatever you're planning." I glared at her ferociously before walking away quickly with my siblings flanking me.

"It's too late!" Tanya called. "I'm already getting what I want!"

I was getting angrier as each second ticked by. What was it that Tanya wanted? Did she want Bella away from me? Our friendship to break apart?

_What did she want?_

**Bella's Point of View**

I managed to avoid Edward in the first class that we had together. We sat at different places, thankfully, and I sat near the door, so I was able to escape quickly when the bell rang.

Facing him was inevitable because we had Biology together, but I wanted to avoid him as long as possible. So I headed toward the library during lunch.

I was sitting alone in my favorite spot, studying, when two shadows blocked the light. I looked up to see Alice and Rosalie looking down at me disapprovingly.

"Were you planning to avoid him forever, Isabella?" Alice chided reproachfully.

I sighed. "It's your own fault, Alice, so I wouldn't talk."

"You don't understand!" Alice said, plopping down in front of me. "I did you two a favor! Why can't you understand that?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to avoid him forever. I'm not stupid. I have to sit next to him in Biology next period, so-"

"Then will you come over after school?" Alice demanded.

I hesitated. "We can talk it over in class."

"No, you can't," Rosalie contradicted. "There isn't enough time. I'm sure Edward would want to give you a proper explanation. You deserve it too. Why don't you come over to the Cullens after school?"

"I can't," I said, grateful for an excuse. "I need to go down to La Push to see my father. And tomorrow, I promised to go see Renee. Though reluctantly," I added under my breath.

"So, basically, you aren't free until Friday?"

"Basically," I agreed. "And on Friday, _you_ guys won't be free because of the dance."

I was feeling rather triumphant with my reasoning. After all, they weren't lies at all, but the truth. But, of course, pixie and beauty queen had to wreck that.

"Fine," Alice retorted. "We can't do anything about today and tomorrow, because that's your personal, family business."

"But," Rosalie chimed in. "We _can_ make you attend the dance." They smirked.

I glared at them. "Not a chance."

"We'll see," Alice said smugly. "We'll give you a full makeover after school on Friday, and you'll be coming to the dance with us. We can ask Emmett and Jasper and Edward to meet us here."

"I don't have a date."

"You don't need one because Edward will make sure that you are not alone," Rosalie said dismissively. "It's obvious."

"I won't go. You can't force me."

Alice stuck out her tongue at me before she and Rose flounced out of the library happily.

Why did I have such good friends that got on my nerves constantly?

* * *

**AN: So! What do you think? Leave your reviews on your opinions!**


	13. Chapter 13: Jealousy

**Author's Note: Short chapter ahead! Just a warning. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"Hey, Bella," Billy Black, my father's friend, greeted me warmly at the door. "How you doing?"

"Hey, Billy," I said, smiling. "I'm doing fine. How are you?" I shook the hand that he offered me.

"Just marvelous. Especially since your father's been around a lot."

I followed him into the kitchen. "I'm sorry about that. I'm actually here to convince him to come back to the house. Renee's never around anyways."

"Oh, don't do that," Billy said. "He's wonderful company. We don't mind at all."

Jacob looked up his homework. He brightened up when he saw me. "Hey, Bella!" He waved, grinning widely.

I hadn't had a taste of his bright attitude in a long while. "Hey, Jake. It's good to see you."

"Same."

"Billy, where's the toilet paper?" Charlie's voice rang out, and he entered the kitchen. He stopped short when he saw me. "Bella."

"Hi, Dad," I said, leaning on the counter. "Miss me?"

He pursed his lips. "I thought I told you not to come down. I'm fine where I am, thank you very much."

I sighed. "The house is empty. Mom's not there."

"It doesn't matter. If I go back, I'll be losing this round."

Billy rolled his eyes. "You two were never right for each other. Always fighting. Stubborn."

"How are the Cullens?" Charlie asked as he sat on a stool next to Jacob. "Anything new happen at all?"

My expression darkened as I recalled yesterday's events. "Nothing much. Same old."

He studied my face suspiciously. "What happened, Bells? You can't fool me."

"Nothing," I insisted. "They're fine. _I'm _fine."

He raised his eyebrow.

Jacob scowled. "How's Edward?"

I glanced at him, amused. "It's obvious that you don't like him, Jake. You don't have to try in front of me."

Jacob grimaced.

I recalled today's Biology class. It had certainly been awkward sitting next to Edward. He'd tried to talk to me several times before giving up when I only answered shortly to his questions.

As I left the classroom, he'd grabbed onto my wrist and warned me, "Don't avoid me anymore."

"Why in the world do you not like Edward?" Charlie asked Jacob now. "He's a good kid."

Jacob shrugged.

"He's tall, handsome, and intelligent. Popular too," Charlie added under his breath.

Jacob's eyes flickered to me briefly before looking away. "I just don't like him, that's all. He's too…perfect. It's abnormal."

Billy guffawed. "I don't think it's nothing. There's always a reason for everything. And judging by the way you looked at Bella before answering, you're jealous, son."

Jacob flushed. "I am not! Why would I be jealous of Cullen? I'm not crazy."

"Aw, come on, Jake," his father said. "It ain't exactly a secret that you have a crush on Bella."

I blushed with Jacob this time, and I turned away. This love business wasn't funny anymore.

**Edward's Point of View**

I was still annoyed with Alice. Bella had barely talked to me all day, even in Biology.

Alice and Rosalie were chatting excitedly about the dance while Emmett and Jasper were talking about football. And I was sulking alone.

"Come on, Edward," Alice groaned suddenly. "You're no fun. Stop sulking."

"Easy for you to say," I retorted. "_Your_ best friend is still talking to you."

"I told you," she said patiently. "You two can never be friends anymore. It's just not possible. And even more, with Bella's stubborn attitude." She gave me a meaningful look.

I rubbed my temples absently. I was developing a headache.

"Why didn't you drag her over today?" Emmett asked. "We could've forced her to listen to Edward."

"Because she left before we got to the parking lot," Rosalie answered.

"And because she had to go down to La Push," Alice added.

That caught my attention.

"Why?" I fired up immediately. Jacob Black and my dislike for him flashed into my brain, and I hated him even more.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Calm down, bro. Bella didn't go down to see Jacob. She went down to see Charlie."

I didn't relax. "Still. She would see him while she's there."

"Honestly," Jasper snorted. "Your jealousy is getting seriously ridiculous. Jacob is just a friend of Bella's. Why do you have to get so agitated?"

I sank back in my seat, still unhappy. "Because _he_ likes her in another way. That's why."

"And it bothers you, huh?" Emmett asked, grinning widely. He found my jealousy amusing.

"Of course," I said softly. "Whenever we get together, Bella pays more attention to him than she does to me."

"That doesn't mean anything," Rosalie said. "She hardly ever sees him. It's only natural that she gives him more attention when they get together. She sees _you_ every day."

Jacob Black. My fists clenched together at the name. We had never liked one another, even though we'd known each other since we were young. The fight for Bella's attention had always been ongoing. He'd been competition from the very beginning, only because I didn't know how Bella felt about me in _that_ way.

"If you're so worried, call her," Alice said nonchalantly, feigning disinterest as she studied her nails.

I gave her a look. "She won't pick up."

"Just bring her over tomorrow!" Emmett said impatiently.

"She can't," Rosalie said. "She's going over to see Renee tomorrow."

I scowled and knocked down a book from the table beside me. It was a childish action, but I couldn't help it. "Why can't she go see her today?"

"Maybe she'll sleep over at the Blacks," Alice said casually.

I glowered at her. She was trying to make me jealous on purpose. "Stop it."

She smirked. "Make me."

"Alright, you two," Emmett said, intervening before I could retort. "Enough. Alice, leave him alone. He's already upset because Bella went to see Jacob because she loves him so much."

I shot him a look. "You're not helping either."

He grinned mischievously.

"Look," Rosalie said. "We're going to make Bella come to the dance. Isn't that enough? You just make sure she's never alone. Ditch Denali, and seize Bella before someone else takes her away. Okay?"

I sighed wearily. "She'll only push me away."

"Pessimist," Alice mumbled under her breath, shooting me a dark look.

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**AN: Sorry about the short chapter. Reviews, please!**


	14. Chapter 14: Darkness

**Author's Note: It's spring break where I am, and technically, it's the last day. So I'm updating before I get busy starting tomorrow. So enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 14**

**Bella's Point of View**

The next day went by surprisingly quickly. Maybe it was because my mind was elsewhere. But I was listening to the teacher, and everything had made sense. What was wrong with me?

It was at the end of the day that I remembered about Edward. I was exiting the school parking lot when my thoughts flashed to him. Had I seen him at all today?

I felt confused. Was I finally cracking up?

He must have thought that I was purposely ignoring him. I felt bad. Guilty. It wasn't his fault, after all.

My phone rang, and I glanced at it, distracted. It was Alice.

"Hello?"

"Are you fully intent on avoiding him forever?" she snapped back.

That was a nice greeting. "What did he say?" I asked curiously.

"He said that you've been avoiding him all day," she said.

Shoot. I frowned. "I wasn't doing it on purpose, Alice."

"Like I'll believe that!"

"It's the truth," I insisted. "I had a lot on my mind today. I wasn't able to get Charlie to come back to Forks. And I'm on my way to see Renee. I don't even remember what I did today."

She was silent for a moment. Then, she said, "Can I trust you on that?"

"Of course you can. Will you tell Edward…" I took a deep breath. "Will you tell him that I'm sorry?"

"Tell him yourself."

"Please, Alice," I pleaded. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

She huffed. "Well, you'd better be ready by tomorrow. Because you're talking to him at the dance, missy."

My face hardened and I glowered at the road. "I'm not going to the dance, Alice," I said flatly. "And that's final. I'm going down to La Push to see Jacob."

"Jacob, huh?" Alice asked. "Well, I've reached my limit. You're coming to that dance tomorrow. You are _not_ going down to see Jacob in La Push. Because Rose and I won't allow it."

I made an impatient sound. "What, I'm not even allowed to see my friend anymore?"

"No," she said. "Especially since Jacob likes you. It's not fair to Edward because he won't be there to watch you two over."

"Am I five-year old?" I asked. "I am allowed to see whomever I want to see. No one can stop me."

"No? We'll see. Good luck with Renee, Bella." She hung up before I even opened my mouth.

I tossed my phone next to me, seething. It wasn't fair that they wouldn't let me see Jacob because Edward was jealous. So he loved me. Did that mean he could be possessive over me?

I sighed angrily, shaking my head. No. These thoughts weren't right. Edward's your friend, I reminded myself. He'll be your friend forever. No matter what happens.

"No matter what happens," I repeated out loud darkly as I turned into my mom's boyfriend's driveway. "We'll _stay_ friends."

I had no intention of being more than that.

* * *

"Come in, Bella," Phil invited. "We've been expecting you."

I entered the cozy living room of his house stiffly, glancing around restlessly.

Renee was sitting on the sofa, watching TV. She perked up when she saw me, as though I'd never scolded her in that restaurant for hurting Charlie. "Bella!"

I nodded at her curtly. "Mom."

She turned off the TV and motioned for me to come sit next to her. Instead, I sat in an armchair across from her. She pouted but let it go.

I watched as Phil sat next to my mother. They were barely within an inch apart. I studied my mother's comfortable clothes. Tank top and shorts. Like it was summer.

My breath came out in an exasperated sigh. "You look happy."

Renee immediately looked guilty. "Bella…"

"Do you ever think of Charlie, Mom?"

"Of course I do," she said, her eyes widening innocently. "But I'm not planning on losing this round."

I shrugged. "Figures. Charlie said the same thing."

Phil looked uncomfortable. "Look, Bella. I'm sorry about all this. I didn't mean to get in the way of your parents' relationship. It just…happened." He spread his hands helplessly. "I love your mother, Bella. That much I'm sure of."

Renee looked misty-eyed as she stared at her boyfriend lovingly. I could feel my temper rising. Why couldn't she have ever looked at my father like that?

"So, to sum it all up," I said flatly. "You're going to stay here. Mom."

She flinched when I put an emphasis on her name. "Yes. I'm staying here."

"So you'll live separately forever?" I asked. Even I could hear the danger tone in my voice. "Really?"

She stared at me. "I don't what else to do," she whispered.

I sighed deeply. Finally, I said, "Do you know…what I'm going through…right now?"

She blinked. How could she look so innocently blank at a time like this?

"You were right about Edward, Mom," I said, my voice cracking now. "Everyone was right." I sighed again, lowering my gaze. "I just…wanted to tell you that. I guess you deserve to know, even though you haven't been there for me as a mother these days."

Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry."

I laughed humorlessly. "About Edward? About you not being there for me? It's okay, Mom. I'll deal with it." My expression hardened bitterly. "While you stay here, oblivious to all your daughter's troubles…not caring a bit about where your husband is, and how he's coping… We'll be fine, Mom. I came here to tell you that. I guess I knew you weren't going to come home."

I rose from my seat and made to move out of the room. Renee jumped up and grabbed my hand.

"Bella, I'm sorry," she said in a pleading voice. "But you have to understand…" She was crying openly now. "I was never truly happy with Charlie. I don't regret having you, of course not. It's Charlie. We were never meant to be. I'm sure he knows that too. But with Phil…I'm happy, Bella. I'm actually _happy_. Can't you accept that, honey? Don't you want to see me happy?"

"Of course I do, Mom," I said quietly, not looking at her. "I want you to be happy. I was only wondering if you couldn't be happy with Charlie, instead of with another man."

She caught her breath. She looked really hurt. I felt bad about it, but I was still a child. A child who needed both her parents love without them fighting.

"You've been thinking of Charlie, Mom," I said. "But you haven't been thinking of me, have you?"

Her lips parted, and her eyes widened.

"You don't know what you're doing to me," I said, my voice trembling. "Have you ever thought that maybe…I'm more hurt than both of you put together?"

Renee looked speechless.

I glanced at Phil, who looked grim. "You should've thought of that before you became happy with this man. Because he can never be my father, Mom." I shot her a look, tears in my own eyes. "I won't accept him."

I brushed past her and let my hand slip through her fingers. I heard her sobbing loudly as I ran to my car, tears flowing silently down my own face. Phil's voice was muffled as he consoled her. I didn't know what he was saying, but I did know this.

Renee was going to be okay. She had her other half with her. She was going to be okay, but I didn't know about me.

* * *

The house was deathly quiet the entire evening. There was not a peep in the neighborhood to interrupt the silence. It was so quiet that it was getting to be scary.

After homework and a quick shower, I crawled into bed and pulled the covers over my head. I was crying again. It was so scary and quiet. It was cold and there was no other comforting presence here.

No Edward.

I wanted to call him, but I was afraid. What would he say? What would _I_ say?

I needed him so badly. I needed him like air to breathe. I felt so suffocated that I had to pull the covers back.

I gasped for air. I didn't know anymore. I didn't know if I was still crying or laughing at my pathetic life.

"Edward," I managed through my gasps. "Edward…"

My breathing slowed eventually, but I couldn't get rid of Edward in my thoughts. Where was my hero? Where was my friend, who had always been there to put out the raging fire in my life? My firefighter…

The dark room that surrounded me reminded me of my previous horror. I couldn't stand it anymore. I threw the covers over my head again. I didn't care if I died of suffocation or not.

Because right now, to me, the darkness in my room mirrored the darkness of my life. And that scared me more than dying from lack of oxygen.

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**AN: So…what'd you think? Leave reviews on your thoughts!**


	15. Chapter 15: Feelings

**Author's Note: This chapter is super long. Longer than normal. I think it's the first time I'd written over six thousand words. I was going to cut the chapter in half because it was getting to be too long, but I thought, "What the hell?" So here it is. ;) I hope you enjoy! Lots of drama, I'm warning you! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

The parking lot was already packed with cars and students when I drove in, slightly late, on Friday morning. But, of course, my friends always saved my usual space between the Volvo and M3.

I tried to avoid their eyes as I slid in carefully. It wasn't too hard. I just had to act like I was extremely tired, which I was. I hadn't been able to sleep too satisfactorily last night, due to my horrors.

I slid the gear into parking, then let the engine idle for a few moments while I leaned back against the headrest and closed my eyes. I was so, unbelievably tired.

I would've fallen asleep if it hadn't been for the gentle tap against my window. Startled awake, I looked to my left, bleary-eyed.

Edward was looking down at me, expressionless, and with his hands in his pockets. He raised his eyebrow and jerked his head slightly, gesturing for me to come out.

I sighed as I blinked the sleepiness from my eyes and turned off the engine. I slid out of my seat reluctantly. I could've slept forever in there.

"You look tired," was Edward's short greeting. He seemed wary of making me run away again.

But I had no energy to run and hide from him any longer. There was no point anyway. I'd already decided that we were going to be nothing more than friends. My resolve helped, of course, to act normal around him from now on.

He closed my door for me while I leaned against the side of my car wearily.

"Did something happen?" he asked in a low voice, concerned.

I closed my eyes and pictured yesterday's scene with Renee and Phil. "No."

"Don't pretend," he said accusingly. There was a slight resentment in his voice. "I know you too well. You can't fool me."

My eyes opened again, and I glanced at him. I gave him a slight smile. "I guess I can't."

"Hey, Bella!" Alice's loud voice interrupted us, making me wince and lean away.

"Please, Alice," I sighed as I led the way out of the tight narrow space in between our cars. "I'm not in the mood for your cheery attitude this morning, so take it down a notch for me, will you?"

Alice tutted. "Couldn't you have taken better care of my raw material, Bella? You look horrible!"

"Raw material?" I asked flatly. "For what?"

"For the dance tonight, of course!" she chirped.

"I'm not going. I'm going home and _sleep_."

"You could've done that last night," Rosalie pointed out.

"Leave her alone, Alice," Edward said, studying me intently. "She doesn't have to go if she doesn't want to."

"So there," I added.

"You!" Alice said, jumping out in front of Edward and blocking his way. She jabbed at his chest with her finger. "I thought you _wanted_ her to go! You're not helping!"

Edward didn't even wince at the sharp prod of her finger. He was too used to it. "It's her choice. She doesn't have to go if she doesn't want to."

"Edward!" a new sing-song voice entered my ears, and I wanted to groan out loud. What was it, Bother-Isabella-Swan Day?

Edward had time to sigh exasperatedly before Tanya came bounding up to him and linked her arm through his.

"What do you want, Tanya?" he asked coldly.

"A good morning kiss, of course!" Tanya said eagerly. "How about it?" She puckered her lips and made a smooching sound.

I couldn't help but feel enormously irritated. I had to fight the urge to turn to her and yell at her to go away. What was the matter with me? She was my friend. I'd been the one to do the matchmaking. The least I could do was support their relationship. It must have been those cranky mood-swings from lack of sleep.

Edward leaned away just as she tried to reach for his cheek. The good news: Tanya missed his cheek. The bad news: her lips brushed his neck slightly, leaving a lipstick trace on his skin.

Emmett and Jasper fought back a grimace when they saw this, and Rosalie looked like she was about to barf. Alice opened her mouth to snap at her, seemed to think better of it, and snapped her mouth shut.

And I was staring at them with an expression of…

What? I didn't even know. I couldn't even feel my face. All I knew was that she'd just tried to kiss Edward, and I didn't like it. I was standing there, frozen, like an idiot. I couldn't even rescue him like he'd rescued so many times from Mike and the other boys.

Alice suddenly glanced at me, and her expression turned slightly smug. She looked away, rearranging her face before I could look properly to register what I'd seen.

Edward pushed her away, stone-faced. "Go to class, Tanya."

Tanya seemed satisfied to see her lipstick print on his neck. Therefore, she didn't complain as she smiled and flounced off.

Edward grimaced and turned to us after making sure that Tanya wasn't going to return to bother him again. And he stared at me in surprise.

I didn't know what expression I'd had on, but it sure seemed to surprise him. Quickly, I turned away and walked on toward the building.

"Edward," Jasper said once we were under the shelter of the roof. "You have Tanya's lipstick print on the side of your neck."

I was continuing to walk when Rosalie grabbed my arm and stopped me. I looked back and saw that the boys and Alice had paused to get rid of the print.

"Where?" Edward asked, not moving, as though his life depended on it. His fingers traced the side of his neck carefully. "Here?"

"No, no," Emmett said. "A little lower."

"Here?"

"A little to the left," Jasper suggested.

"Here?" Edward sounded exasperated.

"That's too much," Alice said. "A little to your right- Bella!" She backed away in surprise when I came walking up to them quickly.

Impatiently, I reached toward his neck and rubbed the print away myself. I wasn't just annoyed by the fact that Edward hadn't been able to find the location of the lipstick, but also because I didn't want to see it anymore. I didn't know why, but it bothered me a lot.

"There," I said harshly. "It's gone now. Happy?" And I turned and walked away.

**Edward's Point of View**

I stared at her retreating figure blankly. Why was she so cross today?

The others were trying hard not to laugh.

I turned to them and said, "What did I do?"

"Nothing," Alice said between giggles. "That's what's so funny about it. Bella's jealous."

"Jealous?" I frowned. "About what?"

"You should've seen her earlier when Tanya was trying to kiss you," Rosalie said, smiling. "That expression… It can only appear when a woman is jealous. Take it from us girls." She looked smug.

"Looks like all your hard work has paid off," Emmett said, slapping me on the back and making me wince. "Years of one-sided love…now, it'll be a mutual thing."

"Don't be silly," I said, brushing his hand away. "You know Bella doesn't like me that way."

"Things change, my dear brother," Alice said airily. She smiled and flounced away, dragging Jasper away.

I turned to Emmett and Rosalie incredulously. "What…?"

Emmett chuckled and waved at me mockingly. "Good luck, bro. Come on, Rosie."

Rosalie paused and lowered her voice before walking away herself. "Bella loves you too, Edward. She just doesn't know it yet, that's all. She has nothing against you. Just don't forget that it's _your_ responsibility to make her realize her feelings for you." She smiled before following Emmett.

Confused, I just stood there, when girly voices squealed, "Edward!" from behind.

Jolted out of my reverie, I began to walk away as quickly as possible from the cheerleaders who ran after me.

**Bella's Point of View**

I immersed myself in homework after school. I didn't want to do it over the weekend, planning to catch up on sleeping instead. I had only two math problems left when the doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts.

At first, I tried to ignore it. I had two more problems left and I was in no mood to entertain anyone. Maybe they would go away after a while.

But after five minutes of constant pounding on the front door and ringing the doorbell, I assumed that they weren't going to go away.

Annoyed, I shoved my pencil away from me and ran down the stairs. The person was in mid-knock when I flung the door open.

Alice nearly fell over but caught herself just in time. She didn't have my clumsy coordination, after all. She looked at me disapprovingly.

"Alice," I snapped, just as irritated. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

"Because," Alice said haughtily, straightening to her full extent proudly. "The three of us are going to a dance, and if we want to get there on time, then we should start getting ready."

She looked behind her where Rosalie's M3 was parked on the curb. "Rose!" she hollered, very unlady-like. "She finally opened up! Let's get the materials into the house now!"

"Okay!" Rosalie's voice called out cheerily. "Hey, Bella! You abandoned us after school!"

"It was for a reason!" I exploded. "I am _not_ going to that dance! Why can't you guys understand that? You never had a problem with me not going before!"

"Yeah, well, that's because you didn't know Edward's love for you yet," Alice said dismissively. She glanced at me, smirking. "We shall make you into a beautiful princess, just you wait, my lady. The fairy godmothers are here."

"Well, I don't know about me," Rosalie said, sauntering up to us carrying a basket full of beauty products, three sets of dresses in her other hand, and three pairs of dangerous high heels under her arms. She seemed at ease, despite the fact that she was carrying loads of stuff. "But I know for sure that the pixie here is a fairy."

Alice scowled as she ushered me inside forcibly. I looked at her indignantly for barging into my own house without permission. But then again, they never needed permission to come over. They were welcome any time.

"Well," I sighed and going back upstairs. "I'm not saying that I'm going, but since you're here, you can fix yourselves up and leave."

"Just a minute, young lady!" Rosalie barked, causing me to pause and look back. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"Homework," I said. "I have one problem left." My expression soured. "I would've finished already, if Alice hadn't annoyed the hell out of me and interrupted my studying time."

Alice rolled her eyes as she leaned down to organize the beauty materials. "Just finish that miserable little problem and hurry down."

Ten minutes later, I came back downstairs to see that Alice had already curled Rosalie's hair and had pulled the top part of her hair into a mini ponytail. She looked like she'd come out straight from a fairytale.

"Hey, Rapunzel," I teased, admiring her long, blonde hair. "You look nice."

She turned and grinned at me. I saw that she'd already done makeup too. "Thanks. Do you think Emmett will like it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Rose, Emmett will love you even if you go without makeup. You don't need it."

Alice looked at me. "What are you doing, just standing there?"

I looked at her blankly. "What, you want me to help beautify you two?"

She snorted. "_No_, genius. Go take a quick shower and dry your hair all the way. Then come back down for the makeover."

I sat down on a chair next to Rose and said stubbornly, "Nope. I'm not going anywhere."

Alice let go of Rosalie's hair and turned her body toward me completely. Her hands were on her lips and her expression was scary. I knew that I'd gone far enough. When she made that expression, it meant that she was going to get everything her way, no matter what consequences she may see later on.

"You will go to that dance tonight," she said firmly. "It does not matter that you do not have a date. You will go, and I guarantee that Edward will make sure one hundred percent that you will not be alone for a second."

Rosalie nodded her head minutely, letting me know that I had to go take a shower immediately or risk Alice exploding. And I'd had experience with that before. It was something I didn't want to see again.

"Fine," I mumbled. "I'll go, alright? You don't have to get mad at me."

Alice's face immediately brightened, leaving me wondering how a person's expression can alter so quickly. "Great! Hurry back, darling!" She imitated Jasper's southern twang. "I promise you will look so smoking hot that the boys will not be able to take their eyes off of you!"

She turned back to fiddle with Rose's hair, and I stuck my tongue out at her back.

"And don't stick your tongue out at me," Alice said without turning back.

My eyes widening in shock, I quickly turned around and ran back upstairs to the bathroom. I swear, she had eyes on the back of her head.

I took a quick shower and came back down after drying my hair completely. It was still slightly damp because I'd been too lazy to keep the dryer in my hand for a minute longer. It was better than completely wet. Alice would have to agree with that.

In my absence, I saw that Rosalie had given Alice a makeover. She was admiring herself in a mirror with a smile plastered on her face.

Her usual spiky black hair had been straightened and a cute pin in the shape of a pink ribbon was on one side of her hair. Her makeup was slightly darker than usual.

I smiled. "Pixie turned into pretty fairy princess, did she? Nice work, Rose."

Rosalie laughed. "Well, pixie seems to like it."

"Of course!" Alice gushed. "Rosalie did it." She turned to me and nodded her head approvingly when she saw my slightly damp hair. "And with Rose's and my skills combined on you…" She grinned. "You'll look absolutely stunning!"

I gulped as I moved to sit down. Rose immediately began to play with my hair while Alice grabbed foreign makeup products and started dabbing at my face I just knew I was going to look like a clown.

* * *

Rosalie and Alice took the M3 while I took my Audi. I wanted to guarantee a ride home in case I had to run away from somebody. And with my luck, I was sure the car would be a necessity later tonight.

I slid in next to the Volvo and BMW neatly. I took the key out of its ignition and took a deep breath.

I can totally do this, I told myself feebly. I have confidence. I can do it.

I could see Rose and Alice waiting for me behind my car in the mirror. Sighing, I hopped out of my car and waddled toward them as best as I could in my dangerously high, nearly six-inch high heels. They were practically stilettos.

Rosalie and Alice grinned as they appraised me, then high-fived each other for the hundredth time that evening.

"Man, if I were a boy, I would totally take you home tonight!" Rosalie said proudly. "Look at our girl! Totally steaming hot woman!"

I blushed. "Don't be ridiculous. You guys made me a clown."

"Nonsense!" Alice said airily. "You look awesome. I have to agree with Rosalie. I'd take you home too, if I was a boy. Take you home and bed you." She winked.

I couldn't help laughing, despite my nervousness. "You guys look more beautiful and way hotter."

Rosalie was wearing a crimson dress with matching heels. Her jewelry was fancy and glittered from her neck, wrist, and ears. She was even wearing an anklet. She looked so beautiful that I wanted to cry.

Alice was a pretty fairy. She looked like an adorable bumblebee in her yellow halter dress. Her pumps had definitely heightened her, but she was still tiny next to us, considering the heels we were wearing as well.

I looked down at myself. I felt plain next to them. With the pure white, flowing spaghetti-strapped dress that stuck to my body extremely tightly and matching, open-toed heels, I felt more exposed than I should normally be. The silky fabric of my dress and the breeze against my feet made me feel almost naked.

My hair was pulled out of my usual boring hairdo, and instead, Rosalie had done something to it so that it was actually up in an elegant french twist with a beautiful holder securing it.

My hairstyle, I was proud of. My makeup? Not so much.

"Alice, I look like a panda!" I'd shrieked when she'd finally let me see the mirror.

"Don't be silly, you look so sexy!" Rosalie had squealed in excitement. She was actually jumping up and down, and she was someone who never did that. "Great job, Alice."

Alice had seemed so smug. "I'm so _good_, don't you think? You're beautiful, Bella. Anyone who denies that tonight is an idiot, and Rose and I will be perfectly happy to punch whomever says otherwise."

They'd high-fived each other, then stuck this tight dress and high heels on me. I felt like an experimenting mannequin.

The heavy kohl around my eyes Alice had traced with waterproof eyeliner alone felt like ten pounds. The mascara? Five pounds more. The dark eyeshadow, powder, and lip gloss? Ten more pounds added.

I felt so weird. I was nervous because no one had ever seen me this way. What would people say? I was afraid that they would start calling me a slut and a wannabe.

Just as Alice and Rosalie took a few steps toward the school, I chickened out.

"Guys," I said, desperation leaking into my tone. "I can't do this." I turned for my car again.

"No-" Alice and Rosalie pulled me back and took each one of my arms in theirs.

"Bella, be confident with yourself!" Rosalie urged. "You look beautiful! Hot. _Sexy_. Seriously." She nodded, sincerity filling her eyes.

"You _can_ do it," Alice said. "You look totally hot. I wouldn't be surprised if Edward abandons Tanya for you, and even if you finally do have a date, the other boys will want you. I guarantee it. If it's not true, we promise we won't say anything more when the next dance rolls around. Scout's honor." She held up her hand.

"Agreed," Rosalie said. "Come on, Bella. I think we're the last ones to arrive. Our dates are waiting!" Her voice was sing-songy on that last sentence as she and Alice half-dragged me to the entrance.

The dance was in the gym, which was probably the only huge place in town for a high school dance. I gaped at the slightly dimmed gymnasium.

The place was decorated so beautifully that it was hard to imagine the school gym that I'd grown so accustomed to. Ribbons and sashes were everywhere, and the school had even hired a DJ and a dance floor for the event. Students were dressed up formally as they waltzed to slow music.

Refreshment tables were pushed to one side of the wall, and fruit punch and sodas were there too. But no one was drinking or eating. They were dancing, talking, and laughing.

I glanced around and saw that no one else was dressed up so differently than the three of us were. We looked the most altered, the most changed. And everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at us as we made our way slowly through the crowd.

Several boys wolf-whistled behind us, and Rosalie and Alice giggled slightly. My expression was frozen into anxiety and reluctance to be here. My friends were still not letting go of my arms. They'd linked their own with mine.

Was I imagining it, or were people staring at _me_ more than they looked at my friends? It was surely impossible… I probably looked as plain as I did any other day, except for the heavy panda makeup.

We finally spotted Emmett and Jasper, who had been attracting a lot of the cheerleaders' attentions since they were dateless. They were standing to the side of the dance floor, trying to ignore the girls as they spoke in low voices to each other.

They spotted us and perked up when they saw their beautiful dates.

"Beautiful," Jasper said, lifting Alice's hand to kiss it softly. Alice giggled.

"Smokin' hot!" Emmett said, grinning as he looked up and down at Rosalie hungrily. "I don't think you're going home tonight, Rosie." He looked at her seductively.

Rosalie laughed. "Whatever, Emmett."

Emmett and Jasper turned to me and grinned widely.

"Well, well," Jasper drawled. "Who is _this_ beautiful young lady? I'm sorry, miss, but do I know you?"

"Is she new here?" Emmett chimed in, laughing. "She must be at the wrong Homecoming dance. Someone like her belongs in Hollywood, not in this small town."

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny. Amusing."

"You don't look very happy," Jasper observed. "You should be. You look totally hot, Bella."

"Yeah, look at all those boys who are thinking about hitting on you already," Emmett said, glaring at a group of boys who were staring at me, looking dazed. "Looks like you'll need some protecting tonight."

"The only people I need protecting from tonight is from the people I know well," I said in a low voice, glancing around nervously. "What if they think that I'm totally-"

"You're not a slut," Alice and Rosalie chorused, looking bored.

"We've been through this, Bella," Alice said, exasperated. "You look _hot_, not slutty. Ask Em or Jazz. Doesn't she?" She turned to the boys.

"If I wasn't already dating Rosie, I'd hit on you," Emmett promised, nodding.

"I'd take you home and keep you there forever," Jasper added.

They looked one hundred percent sincere.

"You guys don't count," I mumbled. "You're just trying to make me feel better."

Alice sighed. "Never mind. You look fine. Where's Edward? I thought he would be with you."

"Tanya insisted that he dance with her on the 'first dance'," Emmett said, rolling his eyes. He nodded toward the center of the dance floor. "This is the third 'first dance'. He hasn't been able to get away."

Alice stomped her foot. "No fair! He has to see Bella now! Before someone snatches her away! Bella, you have to save your first dance for Edward, okay?" She turned to Jasper and grinned. "Let's go, Jazzy."

Rosalie winked at me. "Be sure you do. Resist those boys as long as you could." And on that note, she and Emmett wandered off as well.

"First dance, last dance," I mumbled to myself as I wandered away too. "Who cares? I'm out of this place in an hour."

**Edward's Point of View**

When the tempo finally got faster after the third slow song, I pulled away from my worst nightmare. "Let's sit this one out, Tanya." I began walking away.

Tanya grabbed my hand. "Oh, but this is one of the popular songs these days! Come on, Edward, let's dance!"

"We already danced to three when you only asked for one," I pointed out coolly. "I'm tired."

"Oh, come on, Edward," Tanya pouted. "Be a good sport."

I tried to keep my temper in check. I was already embarrassed to be seen with her, what with her cleavages drawing the attention of, not only the boys, but all the girls as well. She had on an extremely tight black, sequined, sleeveless dress that was one too many sizes small for her.

Escape. That was the only word on my mind. I wanted to escape her claws – literally – and find out if Alice and Rosalie had been successful in bringing Bella to the dance.

Luckily, Mike Newton came up and said, "Hey, guys. Edward, do you mind if I cut in? The DJ told me there was a slow dance coming after this one, and I'd like to dance with Tanya." He looked at her chest appreciatively.

"Not at all," I said, relieved and grateful. "Go ahead."

Tanya frowned, looking unhappy to see me walk away but let Mike take her hand as he led her deeper into the dance floor.

I tried to look for Alice and Rosalie. Were they here yet? Knowing them, I knew that they would be standing out with their flashy dresses on. I just had to look for people who were gawking at something…

And I found a group of boys who were huddled up together and gawking at something that I couldn't see from where I was standing. They were pushing and snapping at each other to get a good look. Bingo.

I walked closer, wondering how good my sister and her friend looked. Why else would the boys even look at them, although they knew about their extremely protective boyfriends?

I stopped dead when I saw what they were staring at. I caught my breath and stared at a figure in a white, flowing dress that hugged her figure in all the right places.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I was frozen. Everything slowed down. Everything blacked out. I could only see her. And I fell more in love with her.

It was almost criminal, the way she looked. No one should be able to look that tempting. No one should be able to look so stunning and beautiful and…_sexy_.

Was that really the Bella that I knew? No, it was impossible. No way. I'd watched her ever since we were babies. How was it possible that there'd been a side to her that I'd never seen before?

Her long, mahogany hair was up in an elegant french twist. Her dress flowed down like a waterfall, and at the same time, hugged her body so that her perfect body shape could be seen. She was standing on matching high heels so high that she looked almost afraid to move.

Her makeup was what completed her image. I knew instantly that Alice had done it. Not even Rosalie would dare to put on so much eyeliner.

Bella had dark kohl around her beautiful eyes, and she looked…hot. She looked like she belonged on a runway. She was looking around at the students, looking rather haughty and cold, but I knew better. I'd spent years reading her expression and eyes. She was wearing an expression of curiosity, but her makeup made her look different.

What was I doing? I should go take full possession of her before another guy was brave enough to do so. A girl who looked that beautiful wouldn't be dateless for long.

The thought helped me move my feet again, and I brushed past the group of boys who were watching her. I fought the urge to glare at them for gawking at _my_ girl.

Bella was looking the other way when I approached. I cleared my throat, and she turned her head to look at me, startled. She blinked as she recognized me, and almost immediately blushed. She dropped her eyes, looking embarrassed.

She was embarrassed at how she _looked?_ It just wasn't logical.

"I almost didn't recognize you," I said, smiling slightly.

She peeked up at me again. Her high heels closed the height gap of several inches, but I was still way taller than she was.

"Tell me honestly," she said, glancing around nervously. "I look hideous, don't I?"

"Of course you don't," I said, sounding almost offended. How dare she even think that? "You look beautiful, Bella."

She looked at me again, surprise evident on her face. "How can you even say that? I look like someone punched my nose, and I feel almost exposed in this." She gestured to her dress. She lowered her voice as she almost whimpered, "I want to go home."

I raised my eyebrow. I couldn't stop myself from glancing down briefly at her slightly showing cleavage. I didn't think she noticed, though.

"Well, that isn't possible," I said lightly. "Because I won't let you leave."

She blinked. "What?"

I took her arm and linked it through mine. "I'm not letting such a beautiful girl out of my sight. I'm not crazy. What if she escapes?" I winked. "I don't plan on searching for Cinderella the hard way like Prince Charming did."

Bella actually laughed. "Yeah?" She looked slightly better.

"Of course," I said, as I led her through the crowd. The boys gave me jealous and resentful looks as we passed them.

"Don't you have a date?" she pointed out.

"She's taken at the moment," I said dismissively. "In fact, I don't care if she never came back. Cinderella's much more beautiful than she is, and I prefer you to her."

She blushed again, but looked slightly more relaxed. "You don't have to do this. Just because I'm your friend-"

"If you think I'm doing this because we're friends, think again," I cut her off. "I approached you for _you_, a beautiful and, I might add, sexy young lady."

Bella raised her eyebrow. "Sexy? Really?" She looked doubtful as she laughed.

"You'd better believe it," I told her darkly, thinking about those boys. "I'm lucky I claimed you before another guy did."

The music changed into a slow dance, and all the boys grabbed the girls and walked onto the dance floor.

I looked at Bella. "Can I ask you to dance, Miss Swan?"

She looked up at me, wondering if I was joking, but I was completely, one hundred percent serious. She seemed to see it too.

"I guess so," she said dubiously. "But you know I can't dance-"

"You can, if you're with me." I dragged her to the center of the dance floor and soon, we were swaying to the music like the other couples.

Bella looked uncomfortable for the first time. There was no gap between us, as I had closed it by wrapping my arm around her waist. She looked nervous again, and she couldn't look up to meet my eyes.

"Why do you look so nervous?" I asked softly.

Her lips parted slightly as she thought about how to answer. "I…"

I stared at her slightly pouty lips. I was tempted to kiss her.

"I don't know," she said finally. She looked up to meet my eyes, then looked away again, blushing madly.

I didn't know what to say. Now was the perfect time to confess my feelings to her personally, but seeing her here, looking beautiful and hot, intimidated me.

I could almost hear Alice urging eagerly, _Do it!_

_ Do it!_

**Bella's Point of View**

My heart was beating rapidly as Edward held me closer than necessary. I wondered if he could hear it. Feel it.

"Why do you look so nervous?" he asked softly. He was staring down at me almost hungrily, and I was afraid. Alice's words about how he'd loved me since childhood entered my mind.

"I…"

Why _was_ I nervous? I'd never felt this way around Edward before. This was a completely foreign feeling. It wasn't natural.

The way that my heart beat quickly when he was touching me…looking at me…complimenting me…

The way I blushed madly when I just thought about him in general and Alice's words…

"I don't know," I said finally. He was still waiting for an answer, and it was the only innocent enough answer that I could give to him.

What were these emotions that I was feeling right now? Could it be…? Was it a possibility that I was attracted to this boy? To a boy that had been my best friend since childhood, to someone who was in love with me?

My brain told me that it was impossible, but my heart told me otherwise. The human mind was an unpredictable and strange thing. When it came to lust and attraction, it didn't care that a girl had been friends with the boy she was attracted to since childhood. It just didn't care.

The way his arm was wrapped around my torso protectively… My heart fluttered.

No, Bella, I scolded myself. You can't! This is wrong! This is Edward. _Edward_. You've known him since you were wearing diapers. Wrong!

But I couldn't lie to myself any longer. This is how emotions worked in humans. Even if you had no other feelings for another at first, once you found out that that person loved you…nothing was ever the same. Especially when the person was a handsome young man like Edward…you couldn't help but like him back.

It was amazing how, in a matter of a couple days, I'd realized how much I'd grown to like him back. Maybe it hadn't been the last couple days either. Maybe I'd liked him since I was young too. I just hadn't realized it.

But what did I have to do now? I couldn't betray Tanya. I was the one who had urged her to go after him… I couldn't risk my friendship by letting him know my own feelings. I just couldn't.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, his eyes intent on my face.

He'd always asked that question, even when we were little. He always wanted to know everything when it came to me, and maybe it was because of the way he felt toward me. Curiosity…interest…lust…

I merely shrugged, trying to act casual and not betray my emotions. "Nothing in particular."

I didn't know if it was love yet. Was it love? Mere attraction? Lust?

What about him? Did he love me? Or did he just like me?

Edward looked like he was arguing with himself. He was deciding whether or not to tell me something. And then, I saw the determination settle in his eyes.

"Bella, I need to tell you something," he said.

I frowned slightly. "What is it?"

He hesitated again.

"You can tell me anything, Edward," I reminded him. "No secrets, remember? I thought we agreed on that since we were babies." I smiled, urging him to go on.

He took a deep breath. "I-"

"Edward!"

He closed his eyes and reopened them, looking furious. I felt a twinge of regret as Tanya interrupted our moment.

"Bella!" she gushed. "You're here! Wow, you look great!"

Edward released me rather reluctantly, and she hugged me. She smelled like she'd dumped a whole bottle of perfume on herself, and her dress was extremely tight on her.

"Yeah, I came," I said, giving her a tiny smile. "I was dragged here."

Tanya laughed. As she did so, I saw a glint in her eyes, like she was maliciously satisfied, but I must have imagined it, as usual. Because a second later, it was gone.

"I hope you don't mind me interrupting you guys," she said. "Actually, they're going to announce the Homecoming King and Queen right now. You know, the one that people voted for this week? I was hoping Edward and I would claim the titles."

Edward looked like it was the last thing he wanted, but I smiled politely, although my heart was screaming at me to stop pretending right now. "I'm sure you'll get it."

"I'm so excited!" Tanya squealed as she linked her arm through Edward's.

I tried not to feel the twinge of jealousy, but it was hard. Now that I'd admitted my feelings to myself, I could no longer ignore how I felt.

The music stopped at that moment, and there was a slight tapping noise, as though someone was checking the sound system.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" our principal, Mr. Greene, announced into the microphone. Everyone quieted immediately, looking excited and hopeful. "I will now announce our Homecoming King and Queen. Now, as you all know, all students were given a chance to vote during this entire week. And it is now official! Are you all excited?"

"Yeah!" everyone chorused loudly.

"Great," Mr. Green said, grinning. "Because I don't know who they are either. I'm curious too. Now, first, we will announce the Homecoming Prince and Princess."

The crowd cheered madly.

"This year's Homecoming Prince is…" Mr. Greene unfolded the piece of paper his secretary handed to him. "Mike Newton!"

On the other side of the room, all the boys roared in approval as Mike stepped onto the platform to accept his crown and cape. He struck a pose, making everyone laugh hard. Then, he stepped down and rejoined his friends.

"Yes, yes, congratulations, Mr. Newton," Mr. Greene said amusedly. "Now, I shall announce…the Homecoming Princess!"

At this, all the girl in the room giggled and whispered to each other. They watched the principal unfold the paper, hardly daring to breathe.

Was this such a life-death situation? Personally, I really didn't care. And from the looks of it, Edward didn't either.

But it was easy for him to look that way. He'd claimed the title of Homecoming Prince during freshman year and Homecoming King during sophomore. He was the most popular boy on campus, and I wouldn't be surprised if he got picked again for this year's King as well.

"This year's Homecoming Princess is…" He smiled widely when he saw the name. "Isabella Swan! Congratulations!"

I blinked when I heard my name. I must have misheard. No way.

Edward turned to me, grinning widely. "Congratulations, Bella."

"Go up, Bella!" Tanya urged, smiling, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Everyone's waiting for you!"

Finally smiling slightly, I lifted my dress up slightly so that I didn't trip as I stepped onto the platform. I accepted the plastic tiara and the dark pink cape from Mr. Greene. I gave a little embarrassed wave at the crowd before stepping down back on the gym floor. Everyone cheered madly.

Edward smiled when I returned, blushing madly. He looked pleased that I'd received the title, more so that I was.

"This year's Homecoming King and Queen," Mr. Greene announced. "I would like for you to come up together. You will sit on these thrones – " He gestured toward the throne-like chairs on the platform – "and we'll take a picture for you to keep. We all good?"

The crowd cheered.

"Alright, this year's Homecoming King and Queen is…" Mr. Greened glanced down at his paper. "Congratulations! Edward Cullen and Tanya Denali!"

Edward's face immediately soured at the thought of going up there with Tanya, but she squealed and began dragging him up the platform.

I watched, trying to fight the jealousy as Edward and Tanya accepted the crowns and scepters from the principal.

And then, it happened.

Tanya stumbled, tripping over a wire onstage, and tumbled into Edward's arms. He caught her automatically, like a reflex, but she brought him down to her lips.

My eyes grew wide in shock at what I was seeing. The crowd cheered madly as Edward continued to kiss her. But I felt like my heart was tearing into pieces.

Hadn't Alice told me that he loved me? _Me?_ I couldn't believe it now. She had been wrong. _I_ had been wrong. It was not I he liked, but Tanya. It certainly looked to me like Edward had been the one to kiss her first.

I could feel the sting in my eyes as the tears began to appear. I was breathing hard.

I knew that staying here would only make matters worse. Just as Edward pulled away from Tanya and looked towards me, I whirled around and hurried out of the gymnasium.

I was crying as soon as I burst out of the building and into the parking lot. I ran to my car and jumped in, starting the engine quickly.

Tears flowed down my face freely and silently as I fled from the scene as fast as I could.

* * *

**AN: So how was it? Long, I know. But eventful, don't you think? So what do you think really happened up there with Edward and Tanya? I highly doubt that he was the one who kissed her.**

**I'm sorry if the Homecoming King, Queen, Prince, and Princess thing didn't go the way you expect it to. I've never been to Homecoming before (shocking, I know, but I'm not one for dances and dressing up either) but this is the way my school does it. Vote the week of the dance, and announce it at the dance. So anyway, I hope you don't mind too much if it's different.**

**Believe it or not, I finished this chapter today. Yes, I know it's long, but I tend to finish several chapters per day, if I'm on a roll. If not, a chapter is still basic. I think I finished this chappie in an hour. Cool, eh? I wanted to update for you guys before another hard week started. Aren't you proud? Thankful?**

**Reviews, please!**


	16. Chapter 16: Confession

**Author's Note: I'm sorry that my updates were rather late this time. The truth is, I've had some hurtful reviews that criticized my stories so much that I'd lost the will to continue writing for a while. I felt like my stories really sucked, and my writing sucked too. They criticized both these things, and I guess I felt self-conscious. But after a while, I began thinking of all my other fans, almost everyone who had been so wonderful enough to stick with me this far. I felt that it wasn't fair for me to listen to one or two people, when tons of others were depending on me. So here I am again. I decided I wasn't going to care. Aren't you proud of me?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 16**

**Edward's Point of View**

When Tanya tripped over a wire onstage and started falling, I had automatically tried to catch her.

It was a reflex I'd learned to perfect my entire life, thanks to Bella and her clumsiness. I'd always been the one to catch her before she fell.

I should've known that this was Tanya, not Bella. She had perfect coordination. I should've known it was on purpose.

As soon as I'd caught her, Tanya wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down. And she kissed me full in the lips.

_In front of everyone._

Unfortunately, that meant Bella had seen as well. I'd tried to pull away, but Tanya was strong.

I had to admit, her plan was genius. She had totally made it look like I'd been the one to kiss her. But why would she want to do this? It would only embarrass us, and there was nothing she could really gain from it.

Unless…

I knew her whole plan instantly when I saw Bella's shocked and hurt face as soon as I had ripped myself away from the devil. So this had been her goal.

Trying to get Bella away from me as far as possible.

Was this really necessary? I wanted to scream at her. She didn't even like me that way! There was no real competition. Yet, you _had_ to squash my seventeen-year old friendship with Bella?

I knew that Bella would never forgive me. She would think I was no different from other boys. She'd accuse me of being a player for claiming that I loved her and kissing another. She detested players. And she would hate me soon enough too.

I stood, frozen, as Bella whirled around and rushed out of the gym. It looked like she was crying, but I couldn't be sure. She weaved through tons of people and the dim lights made it difficult to see.

What was I going to do?

I turned my gaze onto Tanya, who was looking smug and satisfied. The devil had gotten what she'd wanted. She'd gotten a kiss from me in front of the entire school, _and_ she had severed our friendship.

She'd killed two birds with one stone.

I glared daggers at her. "Tanya Denali."

Tanya didn't even look at me as she waved to the crowd. But she said under her breath, using ventriloquism, "Do you really want to make a scene in front of the entire school?"

Fine, I said to myself. I'll kill her later. Right now, Bella was more important.

I gazed into the crowd, trying not to panic as I searched for my friends and siblings. I spotted them soon enough, and I nearly groaned at their expressions.

Emmett and Jasper looked rather pissed, and Alice and Rosalie… They looked like they could rip me to pieces, put me back together, then kill me again in the harshest way possible.

I didn't care anymore. The photographer was making his way onstage to take our picture. But I didn't give him a chance.

Bella was important.

"Edward!" Tanya called, but I was already offstage.

I made my way toward them quickly. People turned toward me, but then turned back to Tanya. I guess she was more interesting with her showy dress and fake smiles.

The photographer gazed after me, confused. Then, he shrugged nonchalantly and turned to Tanya. Tanya posed on her throne while he flashed away on his camera.

They looked so scary. Too scary. I almost chickened out and went back the way I'd come from. But I had to talk to them and find out where Bella went. Surely, they would know.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," Alice growled. "What have you done?"

"You hurt her!" Rosalie snapped. "After everything we did for you, you just _had_ to ruin it, huh?"

"It wasn't on purpose!" I shot back, getting angry now too. I was the victim here. I was innocent. "I was trying to prevent her from falling, and she pulled me down! She did it on purpose!"

"Of course she did!" Alice said, now shouting over the music that had just restarted. "But _you_ were the fool for falling into her trap! You should've just let her fall. You shouldn't have caught her. Hell, _you shouldn't have even brought her to Homecoming!_"

Alice and I had a glaring contest. I'd never won against my sister, but this time, I didn't back down. I wasn't going to lose anymore. I was tired of losing. I wanted to start gaining.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"How should we know?" Rosalie retorted. "She ran out before we could talk to her. Emmett and Jasper went after her but she was already driving away when they arrived at the parking lot. What are you going to do about it?"

I glanced at each one of their furious faces, then turned and walked away quickly.

"Where the hell are you going?" Alice called after me furiously. "Come back here! I'm not done with you! You-"

She was cut off abruptly, so I assumed that Emmett or Jasper had clapped their hand to her mouth. They were attracting lots of stares after all.

I ran to my car and slid in. I was out of the parking lot in less than ten seconds, speeding way past the limit.

I had to get to Bella. I had to tell her that it wasn't true. I loved her, and her only. Tanya was only trying to break us apart. I had to tell her that we couldn't let her.

I drove so fast that I was at Bella's house within five minutes. That was a pretty good record for driving on wet ground.

From the looks of it, she had already arrived. Her Audi was parked rather sloppily in the driveway, and there was a light in the living room. The curtains were drawn so efficiently that I couldn't even peek inside.

I ran up to the door and pounded on the door. "Bella!"

There was no answer. I thought I heard the TV running, but she hardly ever watched TV. Why would she watch it now? Definitely abnormal.

"Bella!" I shouted desperately. I pounded some more. "Bella, please! Let me explain!"

The night was too dark, especially since a storm was coming. In fact, it was already starting, as rain began to fall rather heavily behind me.

"Bella! Please!"

**Bella's Point of View**

It was getting darker outside as every minute passed. A storm was coming.

Normally, I would hate the thunder and heavy rain that followed it. But that didn't matter to me right now. At the moment, I could only replay that horrible scene in my mind, and grow more angry and upset by the minute.

I ran upstairs to escape my dress and shoes. It was a bad memory now, and I'd dressed up for no reason. What he'd said earlier to flatter me…it was all empty words.

I stowed the dress and shoes deep in my closet where I would never be able to see them again. As I closed the closet door, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

Shoot. I'd totally forgotten I'd had makeup on. My eyes widened in horror. I'd been crying all this time.

But my makeup was still flawless. I remembered that my thick eyeliner and mascara were waterproof. Thankfully.

I wanted to erase it so much, but I had no remover in the house. I should've bought it on my way home.

Sniffling, I wiped the tears away so that my eyes would not get swollen in the morning. I stared at my reflection for a while, then slapped my hand at the image.

Why was my life this way?

First, it was family problems. My parents fought constantly, and one of them was having an affair. The other was so stubborn that he refused to even come home.

Now, this. I couldn't even be with the boy I liked. I'd lost my best friend tonight. And I'd lost all chances of being able to confess to him about my feelings.

If I thought about it carefully, I realized that Tanya had been the one to kiss him. Maybe she had tripped intentionally, knowing that Edward would be the gentleman to always catch the girl. And she had brought him down to her lips. _She_, not he.

But it changed nothing. It only meant that Tanya liked Edward enough to be so obsessive over him so that no one else would dare approach him. Including me.

I couldn't betray my friend that way. If she liked him, then I would have to give him up. I had to let her be happy and give her a chance. In time, I was sure that Edward could like her back.

Sighing, I went back downstairs and turned on the TV to fill the scary silence that had returned once more. And with the thunderstorm on its way, it was even more frightening. I wished Charlie was home.

I turned on the news and watched it for a while. I couldn't concentrate on it, and there was nothing to distract me from my sorrows and horrors. So I turned to a corny sitcom, where the audience kept laughing at no reason I could see.

I jumped when thunder boomed outside. And at that moment, someone pounded loudly on my door, startling me even more. "Bella!"

I froze. Why was Edward here? Shouldn't he be with Tanya?

"Bella, please! Let me explain!"

I swallowed. Explain. He didn't need to explain. I already knew that it hadn't been him. He didn't have to leave the dance so that he could explain.

"Bella, please!" The desperation was obvious in his tone.

I didn't want to let him in. I considered ignoring it, because when I thought about him, there was that sting in my eyes and the stab in my heart, and I was on the verge of tears again. I didn't want to cry anymore.

The pounding continued. And the rain continued. "Bella."

Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. I got up and headed toward the door. Even though I didn't want to see him anymore tonight, there was that rain. I couldn't leave my friend waiting out there in the heavy rain.

I opened the door so suddenly that he looked startled. But relieved. "Bella," he breathed.

Could he see that I'd been crying? I was sure that the eyeliner would conceal the redness around my eyes. I didn't want to get caught or anything…

I exhaled sharply and stepped aside so that he could come in. He did so, and I looked back at the rain for a moment before shutting the coldness out of the house.

He followed me into the cozy living room where I plopped back down on the sofa and tried to ignore him.

"Bella," Edward said quickly. "What you saw. It's-"

"You don't have to explain," I cut him off curtly. "I know. I understand. It wasn't you." I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help but feel and sound resentful. It wasn't fair to him. He'd done nothing wrong, technically. But I couldn't help it.

"Then why did you run away?" Edward asked, looking hurt.

I hesitated. What do I tell him now?

"Bella," he said, moving in front of me to block my view of the TV. "I guess…there's no denying it now. I can't…" He blew out a sigh. "I don't have the confidence to keep it a secret any longer." He looked resigned. "It isn't anymore anyway."

"You mean that thing about what Alice said?" I asked, glowering. "Don't bring it up anymore, Edward. You told me to pretend that she didn't say anything. I'm pretending, aren't I? Isn't that enough for you?"

Edward looked like I'd slapped him in the face. I should have probably done that instead. "Bella, I…"

I stood abruptly from the sofa, wearing a frustrated and angry expression on my face. I couldn't stand it anymore. Everything about my life sucked right now, and I really didn't want to have this conversation with my friend. Even though I'd finally realized that I liked him back, I'd rather prefer remaining friends than possibly breaking up later and crying about that as well.

"You know what, Edward?" I asked, hurt evident in my tone. "It's okay. You don't have to feel guilty or wronged over something like that. It's not like we're going out. We're friends." I swallowed. "And friends understand each other."

He looked speechless. He looked like he wanted to say something in defense, but my attitude was shocking him. Maybe he was wondering why I was sounding so hurt.

"What Alice said," I said. "It's nothing, alright? If you want, I'll act as though nothing awkward happened between us. Honestly, I would prefer that too."

It was a small revenge, what I was doing. For making me feel so hurt. The only way I could think of to get back at him and protect myself was to pretend like I didn't care.

But it was clearly the wrong thing to say, because Edward's face hardened immediately at my words.

"You think I want you to pretend?" he demanded, his voice rising now.

I didn't back down and stubbornly stared up at him defiantly. "Don't you?"

"No!" Edward shouted. "I don't _want_ to do this, okay? Do you know what I want to do? I wish I can just shout at my feelings to the whole _world_. I'd feel so much better. Do you know how hard it was, trying to stay by your side as your friend, and not as a boy?"

We were approaching the dangerous subject. I wanted to avoid that. Avoid everything, if possible.

But, of course, with the tension that had been building over the past few days, I wasn't going to back down either. I had some things to say too.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have befriended me from the very beginning!" I retorted, my voice rising now too. Trying to control my temper wasn't going to work now. We might as well get this over with. We'd never fought once in our lives. It would be good to actually experience it.

Edward's eyes flashed. "You don't mean that," he said flatly.

I glared. "Yes. I do mean it. Sometimes…friends do get tired of each other." My voice trembled. "Maybe we're getting tired too. Maybe we need a break from each other."

He was growing even angrier. I could feel it. I could see it. He was ready to explode. And explode he did.

"_Don't you understand at all?"_ he yelled, his musical voice filling up the entire house. "Can you not understand how I feel? Do you not get why I was able to stay beside you all this time and not go insane?"

"Why did you befriend me then?" I demanded. I would _not_ back down now. "Was it pity? Was everything a lie then? If you're going to stop being my friend now and start hurting me instead, then why did you hang around me in the first place?"

"_Because I love you_!" Edward yelled, his expression morphing into desperation, hurt, and…sincerity.

I fell silent, my eyes widening in shock. How could he just admit that? It was impossible… We'd been friends forever.

I felt the familiar sting in my eyes and heart, and the tears formed. They fell down my reddening cheeks. I couldn't breathe. It was surely…impossible…

Edward's eyes softened when he saw my shock.

"Because I love you," he repeated softly.

My legs felt like jelly. I hadn't expected him to yell out his sincerity so unexpectedly. All I could do was blink madly and cry.

"I've loved you ever since we were little," he said. "And as we grew up, as we grew closer to each other…nothing changed. My feelings for you only grew stronger, and soon, I couldn't see anyone else but you."

He exhaled wearily. "You don't know, Bella. You don't know how hard it was to watch you from far away, unable to cross over that friend line. I wanted to comfort you as a boy, not as a friend. But I couldn't…because you didn't feel the same way."

He hesitated, then said resignedly, "You still don't." His voice was soft. It was barely audible.

That would have been my cue to confess my own feelings, but of course I didn't. Like the coward that I was.

Just as well. I couldn't even open my mouth, much less think about what to say to him.

From now on, Edward Cullen was no longer my friend. He would never be able to be the best friend that I'd loved so much. No, he would never be able to return to that position.

I would always see him differently now, as someone who loved and saw me as a girl. And I would see him as the boy that I'd ended up falling for. Hard.

Edward raised his hand to reach for my face – to wipe away my tears – but he hesitated at the last moment. His shoulders slumped slightly, and his hand dropped back to his side.

He sighed. "I'm sorry I hurt you with my words. I'm sorry for my actions. But I don't regret any of them." He gave me a wistful look. "Because…" He smiled sadly. "Then I would be regretting that I ever loved Isabella Swan. And you'll never find me regretting that. Ever."

Edward seemed to be hurting even more than I was. I supposed that I would be hurting too, if I believed that the one I loved didn't love me back. I wondered how painful it was for him. How could he bear it? How was he able to endure it, when I couldn't even handle a simple confession from my best friend?

"You don't have to say anything," he promised, trying to smile. "I won't ask anything of you. You don't have to feel pressured or anything. At least…at least you know how I feel now."

He studied my face intently before turning to leave. He walked out of the room slowly as though each step was hurting him. I stayed frozen even after the front door had closed.

As soon as I heard the Volvo driving away, I finally exhaled sharply, and, at the same time, let out a sob. My legs gave way, and I dropped to the floor. I hugged my knees to my chest and rocked back and forth, trying to stop crying.

But thinking of how much Edward would've gone through because of me made me feel so guilty and sorry. And thinking of that, I couldn't stop wailing.

The tears flowed down relentlessly. I was probably a huge mess, what with my makeup still on my face.

How could someone like Edward love someone who was as messed up as I was? I, who basically had no life, who had personal family problems, and didn't even know when my best friend was in love with me? It just didn't make sense.

Someone as perfect and whole as Edward should be meeting a girl just as perfect as he is. A girl who is far more beautiful, more confident, more intelligent, and who has a good family background.

He deserved more.

I didn't even have the right to be his friend in the first place. I should've learned my place from the very beginning.

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**AN: I'm still afraid of updating. The reviews I'd been looking forward to…the reviews that I'd been addicted to… I'm afraid of reading them now. Even though I did update today, I'm still not so sure. **

**If you disapprove of the way I'm taking my stories, if you don't like my style of writing or the story line, please don't leave any hurtful comments like you did before and just don't read my story. It really hurt me, what you've wrote. Thank you for understanding.**


	17. Chapter 17: Memories

**Author's Note: Hello, fans! I want to thank you all for encouraging me to keep writing and do whatever I want with my own stories. I'll definitely take your advice and ignore all those anti-fans. Thanks so much! You made me feel loads better; you have no idea how much! Read on!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 17**

**Edward's Point of View**

Something must be wrong with me. I couldn't see where I was going. It was dangerous. My eyes…they were getting blurry…

Even though I'd been driving slowly, five miles an hour after leaving her house, I still couldn't bear to keep going. What if something happened?

Shaken, I turned to the side of the road and shifted the gear into parking. I still couldn't see. The pictures were fading in and out… Seriously. What was the matter with me?

I leaned my forehead on the steering wheel and looked down at my lap. I could still feel my heart beating fast as I remembered my abrupt, unplanned confession.

Something dropped onto my lap. It was wet. Confused, I blinked, and more droplets of water fell. I stared at the spots in shock.

I finally understood why my usually perfect vision had been blurry. I was crying. I was _actually_ crying.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd cried. I think it was when I'd been in second grade, when Emmett had accidentally broken my arm, not knowing his own strength. The pain, I still remembered.

But _this_ pain…it was worse. I knew instantly that, as long as I lived, nothing would ever be as painful as…this.

Isabella Swan… Who was she to make me do something I hadn't done in a long time? Who was she to make me feel this way? Make me feel angry, frustrated, and so…emotional?

The tears felt foreign. It didn't feel right. Men didn't cry. _I_ didn't cry. I had to get a hold of myself. I had to get a grip.

I was so good at controlling myself. I had excellent self-control. But right now, thinking of Bella, I couldn't do anything to stop the tears from falling.

Everything was changing. I was becoming weaker because of love. Our friendship was torn into shreds. We were both confused. Our surroundings…our maturity…situations… Everything was changing.

I missed the old times. Back when we were still young and innocent, knowing nothing even as we pushed each other around and laughing…unable to realize that we would have the worst fight with each other for the first time in our lives in a few years…

Everything had been so much easier then. It had been easier to stay friends with her. Easier to like her. _Love_ her.

But now, we were different. We'd changed, and looking back on it, I realized that we'd both had a slightly difficult time trying to keep each other in check ever since high school began. She'd become more emotional and self-conscious. I'd become more cocky and irresponsible.

Different. Too different. One was careful and responsible. The other was wild and carefree.

Too different.

Were we not meant to be? I'd loved Bella since I was young. Over the years, nothing had changed, except that my feelings had gotten stronger. On the other hand…if she was so shocked by my confession though already knowing about my feelings, then…maybe she didn't love me back. Maybe…she really didn't have room in her heart for me. To look at me in another way. As a man.

If I thought about it from an outsider's point of view, all this would have looked silly. Love? Forget it. It was such a stupid reason to rage and fight with a friend you've known for seventeen years.

But once I settled back inside my own perspective, everything was horrible. Everything was going wrong. My life was twisted, tangled, and miserable. Nothing was going right.

If I kept thinking about it, I felt angrier. It was so infuriating. It wasn't fair. Where was the justice in life?

I kept sitting there in the same position, breathing hard and no longer crying. I was mad now. It wasn't fair that fate was telling me to give up on a girl that I'd loved my entire life.

It was my life. No one else's. I controlled it. I was the boss of it. No one could make me do what I didn't want to do.

I wanted Bella.

I wanted her, and no one else. It had to be _her_, specifically. Without her, I couldn't live anymore. This was how far I'd gone.

I finally looked up. I leaned back in my chair wearily, staring out the windshield at the pouring rain.

I remembered the time when Bella and I had sneaked out of the house when it was raining hard. She'd been over at my house for a sleepover with Alice, my sister having insisted on a full makeover.

Bella had pleaded with me for help, and I'd suggested that we run away. Nothing else was going to rein Alice in, after all. So we did. We'd ran from the house, getting completely drenched in the rain…

We had been eighth graders. We'd just been about to promote to high school. Hormones and puberty…the center of its job.

One minute, we'd been talking about how everyone at our school had been locking lips with each other…

I closed my eyes, lost in the memory. I could still see it so clearly. _Feel_ it so clearly.

Having run into the forest to find shelter from the rain, we'd sat on a thick, dry tree branch. The dense leaves of the tall trees above us had protected us from the raindrops…

_"I can never get to class on time during passing periods," I complained. "The love crowd is getting really out of hand. Anyway, I thought couples and kissing were supposed to be in high school."_

_ Bella laughed, the musical sound ringing around our surroundings beautifully. It was music to my ears. It was a unique type of music that I never got tired of. _

_ I couldn't help but stare at her. It wasn't fair. How could anyone look so beautiful? She shouldn't be allowed to be let out of the house. I didn't even like the way boys stared at her when she walked past, clumsy as she was. They looked at her looks, voice, and intelligence. Coordination didn't matter if you had everything else._

_ She didn't notice anything, of course. She was dense when it came to boys. She never knew even if a guy was in front of her, flirting openly. To her, everyone was just a friend. She was friendly and open to everyone._

_ Not fair._

_ "Take the shortcut," Bella suggested, looking straight ahead into the trees, studying the complicated patterns of how the tree branches wound themselves around. _

_ "I do," I said. "It takes longer, somehow."_

_ She laughed again, then stopped abruptly. She looked at me, mockingly reproachful. "Only because you're another one of those boys who are locking lips."_

_ I chuckled. "How would you know that? You never see me during passing periods."  
_

_ "I know you." She hesitated. "And…I heard Ashley Johnson a few days ago, bragging that you kissed her in front of everyone in the hallways."_

_ I laughed, amused rather than feeling embarrassed in front of my true crush. "Sharp, as always, Isabella." I ruffled her now slightly damp hair. We'd been sitting on the branch for so long that our clothes and hair were almost dried._

_ "People said you're going out with her," she said, frowning. "Are you?"_

_ I looked away, staring at the same tree she'd been staring at earlier. "Why?" I felt curious…wondering if she was feeling jealous. _

_ "You know I don't particularly like her," Bella said. "Are you purposely doing it? Picking some girl I can't tolerate so you can get rid of me? Are you finally getting tired of me?" Her tone was playful. She nudged me gently, her chocolate eyes sparkling._

_ I smiled slightly. "Maybe."  
_

_ She pouted. "Meanie." She sighed, though smiling. "I don't know why I hang out with you. Alice told me I shouldn't anymore."_

_ "Why not?"_

_ "Because apparently, people would be assuming that you and I are dating," she said, so matter-of-factly, that I wondered how she could say that so innocently. "She said I should be careful."_

_ "And I say that you should never listen to my sister," I countered, narrowing my eyes at her playfully. "You're not going to listen to her and leave me all alone, are you?"_

_ "Maybe," she said, imitating my response from earlier. She smirked. _

_ We sat in silence for a couple minutes. It was a comfortable silence, though. It never bothered us, and we never felt the need to fill it up. I, of course, was staring at her again, fascinated by the way her hair blew slightly in the gentle breeze…like she was some model for a shampoo commercial. _

_ "Who was your first kiss?" Bella asked suddenly._

_ I blinked, taken aback. "What?"_

_ She looked at me, curiosity filling up her heart-shaped face. "I'm curious. You never tell me about your love life, even though I ask. Why don't you ever tell me?"_

_ I recovered, then looked away from her piercing gaze. "Because it's none of your business. That's personal."  
_

_ Bella scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Since when is anything personal between us?"_

_ "You keep things from me," I said, fighting a smile. "Like when your period starts."_

_ She slapped my arm, blushing. "That's a girl thing! Doesn't count!"  
_

_ "It's okay," I said easily. "I know when you're on your monthly thing."_

_ Her eyes widened in shock. "How would you know that? I don't even tell Alice."  
_

_ I smirked, glancing at her totally red face. "I've known you for years, Bella. You think I don't know when something about you changes?"_

_ She looked horrified. "I don't get it."_

_ I laughed. "Relax. I don't stalk you. I respect my favorite girl's privacy." I winked._

_ She relaxed slightly, but she still looked mortified. "How? Do I eat more than usual?" She frowned slightly, trying to think back. _

_ "I can tell by your mood swings," I said lightly. "One minute, you're laughing your head off, the next, you're glaring daggers at Emmett. Simple enough."_

_ "Oh." Bella laughed, embarrassed again. "Okay."_

_ I thought I'd distracted her from the original subject, but of course she would be Bella if she forgot._

_ "So?" she prompted. "You know about my secrets so well. But I don't know yours. Don't try to avoid the subject. When was your first kiss?"  
_

_ I couldn't help but frown slightly. I recalled the reason why I'd even kissed that girl in the first place. _

_ "Why do you want to know so bad?" I asked teasingly. "So you can get jealous?"_

_ She huffed. "You wish."_

_ Yes, I do, I thought. _

_ "Seventh grade," I responded. "I won't tell you who, so don't try to wheedle it out of me."_

_ Bella shrugged. "Fine. What I want to know is… What did it feel like?"_

_ I thought about it. Finally, I said, "Skin."  
_

_ She blinked rapidly. "Skin?" she repeated. "I meant emotions, Edward."_

_ I shrugged. "I didn't feel anything in particular."  
_

_ "You mean you kissed the girl even though you didn't like her?" she asked incredulously. "What kind of first kiss is that?"_

_ "I honestly don't care." I gave her an amused look. "Things like that aren't important to boys. But girls are different, aren't they? That's why you asked me that question in the first place."  
_

_ She flushed again. "I'm just curious," she defended herself._

_ "Fine then," I said, turning my body to her completely, intrigued. "I'm listening. What's your ideal first kiss?"_

_ Bella blushed deep red. "Nothing. I don't have one." She frowned. "You talk like I've never had a first kiss before."_

_ "You didn't."_

_ She shook her head. "I've had my first kiss," she insisted. "When I was five."  
_

_ I thought back to when we were five years old. And I remembered._

_ I rolled my eyes. "Bella. That isn't a first kiss. That's more like a first peck. With _Emmett._"_

_ "Whatever," she said dismissively. "Whatever you say, I've had my first kiss. That's my excuse, in case anyone wants to take away my first kiss in high school." She smiled sheepishly. _

_ "See?" I pointed out. "You've just admitted that you haven't had your first kiss."_

_ "I did not."_

_ "Yes, you did."_

_ She huffed indignantly. "Whatever!"_

_ I was thoughtful. Then, suddenly, I asked, "Would you remember who your first kiss was for the rest of your life?"_

_ "Of course," Bella said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I still remember him, don't I? Emmett."  
_

_ I ignored the bluff. I was more interested in her answer. "You would?"  
_

_ She nodded, blushing again._

_ My lips curled up crookedly, and she stared at her favorite smile blankly. _

_ "What?" she asked._

_ As fast as lightning, I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me. And I kissed her pouty lips eagerly. _

_ Bella seemed shocked. She was frozen and stiff. I could totally hear her thoughts: What the hell are you doing, Edward Cullen?_

_ But I wanted to be her first kiss. I'd already had mine, but I wanted to steal hers. I was greedy and selfish, but I didn't want some other guy taking it away from her._

_ After a good thirty seconds of tasting her delicious lips and scent, I pulled away, grinning widely. That felt really good._

_ Her eyes were still wide. "What was that?" she demanded, though her voice was too astounded and shaky to sound fierce. _

_ I shrugged nonchalantly. "I hope you don't mind. I didn't want some strange, no-good guy stealing away your first kiss. Now, you can proudly say that Edward Cullen stole it from you."_

_ Bella made a face. The blush faded from her cheeks, and she rolled her eyes. Then, she started laughing. Hard._

_ "What?"_

_ "I'm…sorry…!" Bella choked out, clutching her stomach. "It just seemed so hypocritical and funny…!" Her laughter turned to shrieks._

_ "Do I really kiss horribly?" I asked softly, jokingly. I nudged her, pretending to be hurt. I was glad she wasn't taking it in the wrong way. It didn't matter that she didn't know how I felt yet. There would be plenty of time for that later…but for now, stealing her precious first kiss was good enough for me._

_ Bella shook her head, gasping her breath. "No, no…it's not that. It's just…" She giggled again. "Your reason for doing it was too funny."_

_ "Funny?" I objected._

_ "Strange," she amended, gaining control now. "Abnormal. Friends don't really do that. But you do. You're so protective. You were trying to protect me, but it seemed really weird and interesting that you would take away my first kiss to do so. Ironic." She smiled. "I guess I'm lucky."  
_

_ "Why?"_

_ "Because the famous Edward Cullen is the one who took away my first kiss," she said. "All girls would want to be in my place."_

_ Smiling, she carefully began climbing down the tree. "Come on, Edward. It's been hours already; everyone will be worrying. Time to go."_

I remembered the rustling of the trees and the smell of the fresh rain as we walked back to the house. I also remembered the emotions that I'd been feeling after stealing the first kiss: triumphant, smug, and ridiculously happy.

She had brushed it off like it was nothing, like it was perfectly normal between us. Since we'd been so close, it really was nothing that affected us hugely. But even so…I wondered if she still thought about that moment every once in a while.

I kept thinking about that day as I drove home. I was distracted and still angry when I went inside. Esme called my name, but I ignored her and walked to my room.

After stripping from my tux and locking myself in my bathroom, I stared at the reflection of myself in the huge mirror.

The frustration rising in my chest once more… I punched the mirror as hard as I could.

The glass shattered and scattered onto the black counter. I stared at the cracked and uneven surface of the shiny mirror. My hand was trembling slightly as blood dripped down onto the spotless, white tiles.

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**AN: How was it? Cute memory, I know, but it turns into salt that gets rubbed on his wound, especially during this time. Heh. Reviews, por favor!**


	18. Chapter 18: News

**Author's Note: Hey, peeps! I'm back. I know I'm taking a lot more time to update, but I've been pretty distracted lately. The time has come for me to decide on next year's schedule, and my head is about to explode with so many options laid out before me. So please be understanding. Also, I'm starting state testing next week, so I'll probably be even busier…and even more distracted. Try to be understanding, okay? I'll still try to update as often as I can. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 18**

**Bella's Point of View**

The weekends were horrifying. The silence around the house was aggravating and still scary, even in broad daylight. I would sit stiffly in the living room or my bedroom all day, frozen in fear. It didn't help matters that my parents didn't come or call either.

On Saturday, I woke up to the sound of my cell phone ringing. I had been tossing and turning all night long, thinking about our fight, and I'd finally fallen asleep at five in the morning.

But, of course, certain pixies had no thoughts whatsoever for my well-being, and called me at exactly nine in the morning. Four hours of sleep did not help my mood.

"What?" I barked into the phone, my voice hoarse and horribly scratchy from crying all night long. I could feel my eyes swollen and bloodshot as well.

"Well, someone's in a mood," Alice said, sounding offended. "Are you still in bed? At _nine in the morning?_"

"You're the one who's strange, waking up somebody who hasn't slept all night long at nine in the morning," I grumbled, my eyes closed.

She paused. Then, in a strange voice, she said, "You didn't sleep?"

"No," I sighed wearily. "It was a very long night."

"Why didn't you sleep?"

"Because I couldn't," I snapped back. "Get to the point, Alice. Why did you call me?"

Alice seemed to be hesitating. Whatever reason she had for calling me, I knew it was about Edward. I wondered what had happened when he'd gone home last night. No doubt he'd been just as upset as I'd been. We had never had such a huge fight in all the years we'd been friends.

"Tell me, Alice," I said with emphasis. I was more alert now at her hesitation. Something must have happened to him. I was curious and worried now.

"Well…" Alice lowered her voice. "I'm not supposed to be calling you. Edward came home last night, looking super angry and distracted. He didn't even look at us if we called his name. He told us to butt out and not to talk about it with you. If he knew I was calling you to tell you this, sister or not, he'd probably beat me up."

My eyes opened slightly. "Is he okay?"

"I don't think so," Alice said. "He's locked himself in his room and won't come out for breakfast. I think he's awake, but who knows? Maybe he was awake the whole night, like you were. And…Carlisle had a bit of a hard time last night, trying to get him to open up his door so he could treat his hand."

"His hand?" I asked, my voice slightly higher. "What happened to his hand?" I thought back to last night. He'd done nothing violent during our fight that would require him to treat his hand. Then perhaps on the way home…?

"So he came in and made a loud ruckus," Alice said, sounding bored. "I don't know what the hell you guys were fighting about because he wouldn't tell us, and I'm pretty sure you won't tell me either, but he was pretty mad. And frustrated."

"Quit stalling and tell me."

"We let him go upstairs, and Em and I were telling Carlisle and Esme what happened at the dance when we heard a really loud…sound. It was like glass breaking and clattering onto the floor, you know?"

I sat up so quickly that my head spun. "What'd he do?" I asked, urgency in my voice.

"Emmett jumped up with this serious expression on his face and he led the way upstairs to his room. We found the door locked, and then…" She stopped abruptly.

"What?" I asked desperately. "_What?_"

Her voice sounded strangled. "We heard him _crying_."

My heart stopped. Edward didn't cry. He never cried. It wasn't him. No way.

"We still didn't know what the sound had been, but it sounded like his cries were like…echoing. So then we figured he was in the bathroom. And then, Carlisle assumed that he had broken the mirror on the bathroom wall. He became really desperate to get inside because he was afraid Edward might be hurt or something."

My lips parted, and I felt the tears coming again.

"We tried to get him to open up for, like, ten minutes. When he didn't, Carlisle sent Esme down to the kitchen drawer for the key. So we opened the door and went into the bathroom and…" She sounded nauseated. "Oh, God. I don't even want to think about that again. It was so…horrible."

"What happened?" I whispered.

"Pieces of the mirror were scattered everywhere on the tile floor. And Edward was standing in the middle of it, looking at the cracked mirror with this crazy look in his eyes and crying and…and his hand…" She gulped. "His left hand was totally covered in blood, and it was dripping down onto the _white_ floor…"

I couldn't believe it. Edward… The sanest person I knew had finally gone crazy. Because of me. _I_ had made him like this.

"Then what happened?" I asked softly after a while.

Alice sighed. "Carlisle marched right up to him and dragged him to the emergency med room in the house. They didn't come out for a long time. I don't think they were talking, but rather, he had a lot of glass in his hand. When he finally did come out, his hand was bandaged heavily, and he looked dead. He went back into his bedroom, slammed the door and locked it, and he hasn't come out since then."

I bit my lip. "God," I muttered to myself. "Edward…"

"What did you fight about?" Alice asked desperately. She was dying to know. "I've never seen him like this before. What made him so mad? What'd you tell him?"

I considered not telling her. But then again, why not? They would figure it out eventually anyway. Besides, telling her personally was better than taking the long way around and waiting for them to guess, then verify with me again.

"We…had a fight," I said reluctantly.

She coughed. "I kind of guessed that. Amazing, isn't it?"

I smiled slightly, humorlessly, then sighed heavily. "He came over…and it was raining, so even though I didn't want to see him, I let him in." I lay back down in my bed and closed my eyes. I spoke like I was in a trance as I relived the memories of last night…

"Yeah?" she prompted.

"He was telling me that everything was a misunderstanding, and that it was Tanya who kissed him…" My voice became a monotone. "I told him that I already knew and that he didn't have to make any excuses. And then he confessed to me about his feelings."

She gasped. "No way! Seriously? He did? Then why is he so mad?" She paused. "You didn't tell him that you didn't like him back, did you?" she yelled suddenly.

"I told him…" I hesitated. I sighed despairingly. "I told him that he didn't have to say anything. I could pretend that nothing happened, and that everything could be back to normal."

"You _what?_" Alice shrieked. "Are you an _idiot_? No wonder he's pissed!"

"And then, he wanted to know if I really thought that he wanted me to pretend," I said, ignoring my friend. "I told him yes, and he began yelling that he would rather shout out to the whole world about his feelings. I told him…I told him that maybe it was a mistake. Befriending him. I told him that maybe we needed a break from each other."

Alice seemed to catch her breath. "Are you _serious?_" She sounded exasperated. "Oh my God… No wonder…" She sighed angrily. "That was stupid, Bella. He wanted to tell you that he loved you."

"I couldn't believe it. Seventeen years, Alice. Seventeen years of friendship, and all of a sudden, he wants to be more than we are right now? It didn't make sense!"

"But you love him too!"

Her sudden outburst made me hesitate. How could she know so easily when I had only found out myself a couple hours ago?

She seemed to take my silence as a confirmation. "See? You two are just making this so much more difficult for each other. Honestly. Where's your maturity?"

"Down the drain at the moment," I sighed. "But I don't regret it, Alice."

"What?" she barked sharply.

"I mean, we had to have a huge fight one of these days," I said. "We'd been getting along well for too long. It was inevitable. Of course, whether we'll be back to being friends again, I don't know… Not after such a huge fight."

"You don't even sound upset," she said reproachfully. "He was crying, Isabella. _Crying_. He doesn't do that, and you know it."

"You don't know half of it," I retorted. "Why do you think I was awake the entire night? I was crying too." I sighed. "I don't want to be apart from him. Without him, I feel empty. Uncomfortable. I don't know when, but he became a part of me. But right now…I don't know. Our pride is pretty important at the moment."

"Your pride?" Alice asked, sounding like she'd just swallowed a lemon. "Jeez. Well, it is true that you both have huge prides…"

I pursed my lips together, my eyes closing. "Can we hang up now? You know what happened last night, and I'm sure you're dying to tell the others. And I want to sleep."

"Okay, I guess," Alice said doubtfully. "Do you want us to come over later?"

"Do whatever you want."

"Okay…" She hesitated. "Feel better, Bella. I don't like that you said those things to my brother, but you're my sister too. I guess I can't really take sides, huh?"

I smiled wryly. "Do whatever you want," I repeated. "I don't really care anymore. My life's messed up in every way either way."

She sighed. "Bye, Bella," she grumbled dejectedly.

"Alice."

"Hm?"

I took a deep breath. "Is… Do you think he'll be alright?"

Her voice softened considerably. "He will be, but I don't know how he's feeling right now." She paused, then added thoughtfully, "I think I'll get the key and go bother him. You know, see how he's…coping."

"Don't annoy him too much."

"Don't worry, I know when to stop. Get some sleep, Bella. Rose and I'll try to come over later." She hung up, leaving me to relax in relief.

I rolled over and became still. Exhausted, I wandered off to dreamland.

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**AN: What'd you think? I think it's pretty sweet that even though they had a fight, she's still worrying about him. Reviews, please!**


	19. Chapter 19: Visitors

**Author's Note: Hi, guys! It's been so long! Heh. Heh. Heh. But seriously, I'm really sorry. I began testing last week, and I still have another week of state testing left. I've got a Biology state test tomorrow, and then I have Geometry on Thursday and Friday. My two worst subjects: science and math. Shudder. But anyway, I'm done studying for Bio at the moment, because if I study more, my head _will_ explode, so I thought I'd update. So…enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 19**

**Edward's Point of View**

I stared up at the ceiling of my huge bedroom blankly. I was lying down on my bed, sprawled widely like a starfish.

I thought back to last night, when everything had gone wrong. When everything had spiraled downwards. My life sucked. It hadn't been twenty-four hours since our fight, and yet, I already missed her like hell.

I was tempted to go down to my car and drive to her house. Or even call her to hear her voice. But I didn't have the strength to do it. I didn't seem to be able to move. The bed was so comfortable, and I didn't want to change my current position…

My bandaged left hand twitched slightly. There had been a lot of small pieces of glass yesterday, and it had taken Carlisle a while to get them all out. While he'd been working, we hadn't said a word. He knew that I needed some time alone to think things through, and for that, I was grateful.

Since the glass had been in quite deeply, it should hurt. My hand. It should've hurt a lot, throbbed and bothered me until I exploded from frustration.

But it was funny. Weird. After my fight with Bella, nothing seemed to hurt me. These numerous cuts in my hand? It was nothing compared to the huge gaping hole I now had in my chest. How could anything hurt more, when half of myself was gone?

I couldn't even feel anything in my hand. I hadn't taken any painkillers or anything, but it didn't bother me at all. Maybe it was because my entire body was feeling numb.

I closed my eyes, remembering her beautiful face. Bella. My Bella. I wondered what she was doing right now. Was she still upset? Was she feeling confused from my sudden confession? Or was she still sleeping without a care in the world?

Instinctively, I made a loose fist with my good hand. I remembered the way I felt every time I held her hand. The electric current between us was something truly unforgettable. And I wanted to feel it right now.

A sudden rattling noise at my door interrupted my thoughts. My eyes stayed closed, but now, I listened carefully.

Five seconds later, my bedroom door opened widely, and Alice flounced in daintily, closing the door and locking it behind her. She slipped a key inside her pocket.

I was annoyed. Didn't she understand that I wanted to be alone? Didn't she see that I was in no mood to entertain her right now?

"Hey," Alice said, joining me. She sat carefully on the edge of the bed to my right. "You okay?" Her voice was soft.

My eyes were still closed and my face betrayed no emotion, despite my irritable thoughts.

"Edward?" she prompted.

"I locked that door for a reason, Alice," I said, my voice monotone. I sounded dead.

She seemed slightly surprised that I was talking to her. "Sorry." Then, her face clouded. "But I wanted to see how you were doing. Aren't you hungry? Come on, Edward. Let's go down and get you some breakfast."

"Did you talk to Bella?"

She hesitated, taken aback by my sudden question. "Yes, I did, actually." She paused, and I felt her wary gaze on my blank face. "Are you angry?"

"I guess I can't stop you from calling your own best friend," I said. "How is she?"

"She said she's been up the whole night," she responded. "We hung up after about five minutes so she could sleep."

So she did care that we'd fought. That made me feel a little better. I'd been going through horrible imaginations the whole night, thinking that maybe…just maybe…she really didn't care about me at all.

"She sounded really worried when I told her about your hand," Alice continued. "Maybe you should call her."

"Sleep…" I mused, ignoring her now. "That sounds really good right now." My eyes opened and I stared up at the ceiling again.

Alice clucked her tongue. "Look at those dark circles underneath your eyes, bro! I can only imagine how Bella would look like! She's already pale as it is…" She sighed. "Rose and I are going to go see her later. Are you sure you're not coming?"

"Keep her company," I said, changing position and rolling over to face my back toward her. "Don't upset her."

There was a pause. Then, she said in a ruefully amused voice, "Isn't it funny? She told me the exact same thing."

I listened, curious.

"When I told her I was going to go get the key to come see how you were, she told me not to bother you too much. You two…you're always worrying about each other. Maybe it's time to start finding yourselves…and worry about each other later."

She got up and walked to the door. She paused. "Will you come down later for lunch? Esme's getting a bit worried."

My eyes still closed, I reached out to my bedside table and searched blindly for my remote. Finding it, I turned on a button, and immediately, the sound system came on, and classical music filled the room.

"Maybe."

Not entirely satisfied with my answer, my sister left my room.

Wasn't it amazing? I laughed mentally. She actually managed to provide a slight comfort instead of being a nuisance.

For once in her life.

**Bella's Point of View**

I was totally messed up. I could feel it. My hair was impossible, my eyes had dark circles underneath them, and my body was aching.

I dragged myself out of bed as the doorbell continued to ring without a pause. I glanced at the clock, my eyes trying to adjust to the bright light.

It was twelve-thirty. I'd slept for another three and a half hours, and yet, I felt like I hadn't slept at all.

Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to tame it unsuccessfully. I caught my reflection on a picture frame in the hallway, and I realized that I still had my makeup on. To my amazement, even after all those hours of crying, it was still intact. No flaw. At all. I couldn't help but marvel at Alice's skills. What had she put on, glue?

I opened the door and squinted my eyes when the sudden bright light caught me by surprise.

"HELL!"

I flinched at the loud noise. After hours in the silent house with no sound at all, it was definitely hell in my ears.

"What did you do to yourself, Bella?"

This time I recognized the two girls on my front porch. I stared at them blankly for a while, wondering what I was supposed to do. Exhausted, it seemed as though my brain was taking a vacation. I completely blanked out for a second.

And then, they were looking at me expectedly. And I remembered.

I stepped to the side, scowling slightly. They entered right away, still gawking at me.

"Stop looking at me," I mumbled. "I know I'm a sight." I began toward the stairs again.

They followed me, exchanging _maybe-she-lost-it_ looks behind my back. When I started toward my bedroom again, Alice grabbed my arm and said, "Oh, no, you don't. You're not going back to sleep. You're going to the bathroom and take a nice, hot shower. Here." She dropped her hand and dug through her bag, taking out the makeup remover. She handed it to me.

Sighing, I took it and headed toward the bathroom instead. After about ten minutes, I came back out, wearing the clothes Rose had set out for me. I didn't even know what they were, but at least they were comfortable.

"I hope you appreciated the sweats I gave you," Rose said disapprovingly when I joined them in the kitchen. "I thought I'd give you a break from dressing up, under the circumstances."

"Thanks," I grumbled. "Why are you are here?"

"To see how you were doing," Alice said promptly, setting down a plate of heated ravioli in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked blankly. Alice didn't cook. Rose didn't either.

"Esme," Alice said simply. "She's worried about you. She all but threw the food in my hands before I left, ordering me to feed you."

My lips twitched. Touched, I stared down at the delicious-looking ravioli. Esme filled the mother category in my life. She had taken over the position when Renee became irresponsible many years ago.

I picked up the fork and began to eat silently.

"You look like hell, Bella," Rosalie said. "Did you really cry the whole night?"

I didn't reply.

"Of course she did," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "Edward didn't seem to have gotten any sleep either. Those dark circles…" She shuddered delicately. "But you look worse. Anyhow, I'm guessing that you guys won't be seeing each other any time soon."

"What are you going to do now?" Rosalie asked. "You guys _die_ without each other." She scowled reproachfully.

"We'll live."

They raised their eyebrows. "Really?" Alice asked. "Because this isn't living. Losing sleep, not eating, crying, and hurting one another? _That's_ living?"

I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the plate. "We'll live," I repeated. "Somehow."

"Right," Rosalie repeated. "Somehow." She sighed impatiently. "This is getting ridiculous. Bella, you love him too, don't you?"

"Of course," I said automatically.

"Not in a brotherly way," she shot at me.

I paused. "I…I guess…in a way."

Alice scoffed and flipped her hair like Rose sometimes did. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I sighed, setting down my fork. "I think I do see him as a boy, but I don't think it's _love._ I think it's just a crush."

"Oh, brother," Rosalie mumbled. "Poor Eddie."

I frowned. "Hey, at least I'm not saying that I hate the fact that he confessed. It was a relief to hear it from him personally and actually see the sincerity. I was worried; what if he wouldn't like me back? What if Alice was really lying?"

"I wouldn't lie about something like that," Alice said. "That's too mean, even for me."

I studied a perfectly shaped ravioli. "How is he?"

"He's messed up," Alice answered.

I sighed shortly. "Personally, I think he would be better off without me. I should never have befriended him in the first place." I pushed the plate away from me.

"Hey!" Alice said, frowning heavily. "You're not saying that ever again. That's exactly the kind of thing you said to him that pissed him off! You think he regrets becoming friends with you? You think he regrets that he ever started loving you? Even after your fight last night, he'll never regret any of those things, Bella!"

I stared morosely into nothing. Alice's words did describe Edward's personality perfectly. "He's just loyal, that's all."

"No, it's something called love," Alice retorted. "Love is a powerful force. Do you understand? Now, I'm not saying that you were wrong, and that he was right. I'm not saying that you were right and that he was wrong either. I'm just pointing out the fact that you guys depend on each other. You've done so since you guys were practically babies, and if you think you can start living on your own without each other, you'll both die."

"She's right, Bella," Rosalie said gently. "Edward loves you, and you only. He'll never change. I think the thing for you to do is to call him and make up."

I placed my head down on the table.

"Don't you miss him at all?" Alice asked impatiently.

I sighed again. "Yes, I do miss him."

"And he misses you too," Alice pointed out. "Then what's so hard about it? Just make up and start going out. I would be one step closer to having you as my sister, and you'll both be happy together. It's a win-win for everybody."

"That's easier said than done."

"Shut _up_!" Rosalie moaned. "I just want to put you two in a locked room for twenty-four hours and see if you can still make excuses about your relationship."

"It's not that easy," I mumbled. "We've been friends for seventeen years. I don't care how long his crush on me has been going on, but to me, he was just a friend and a brother all my life. I can't just change that overnight."

"Oh, my god," Alice sounded like she had just swallowed a frog. "I seriously want to make you lie down in your own driveway and run you over with a car. _Seriously_. That's how frustrating you are right now."

Just then, my phone rang.

"I hope that's Edward," Rosalie said, eyeing my phone.

"Dad," I said, emphasizing my greeting as I shot my friends a look. "Did you change your mind about coming back?"

Charlie sighed. "Not really. I was just calling to see if you were okay. I'm sure Renee didn't call at all, so I was assuming that I would have to play the responsible parent."

"Come home, Daddy," I said quietly, tracing the edge of the table. "I need you."

"Why, did something happen?" Charlie asked, abruptly alarmed by the moroseness of my voice.

Alice and Rosalie exchanged looks, then rose from their seat. Alice gestured that they were going to leave so I could talk to Charlie alone. I waved halfheartedly as they left.

I felt relieved that they'd left me alone. I didn't need to hide what I felt underneath anymore.

"Bella?" Charlie asked worriedly. "What happened?"

I smiled ruefully. "I had a fight with a friend."

"You did? Who? Rose? Alice?"

"Edward," I sighed.

"_Edward?_"

"Edward," I confirmed. "You see why I need you, Dad? You need to come up from La Push. Now."

"Well, I don't know…"

"Mom is at Phil's," I said in a hard voice. "She doesn't call. She and I had a big, fat fight. And then, I had another big, fat fight with Edward Cullen. They're both being impossible. So are Alice and Rose. So I need _you_, Dad."

He sighed. "Alright, alright. You win. I'll come up tonight, after fishing one last time with Billy. Is that okay with you?"

Relieved that the house would no longer haunt me of its loneliness and silence, I smiled brighter than I had in a while. "Thanks, Dad."

He grunted before hanging up.

Maybe I could find comfort in his words. Charlie always managed to make me feel better. Feel warm and comforted inside…

I needed a distraction from the drama in my life. I headed upstairs to study.

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**AN: What'd you think? Reviews? Pretty please, with a cherry on top and gummy bears and yogurt chips and chocolate and blueberries on top?**


	20. Chapter 20: Tension

**Author's Note: So…it's the second to last day of testing. Tomorrow will be part two of my math test, so I'll be done this week. Still, I wasn't sure if I was going to have time to update this weekend, as I will be busy with community service and going to a concert (yay!). So I decided to update today. If I update on Sunday or something, that's good too, so it's a win-win for all of us. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 20**

When I arrived at school the next morning, the Volvo and M3 was there, as usual. That hadn't changed at all, except the person I wanted to see was not there.

"Hey, Bella," Jasper said, opening the car door for me. He smiled, but it looked strained. "How was your weekend?"

"It sucked," I mumbled, sliding out and pulling up my hood to block the light drizzle.

"Hey, Bells!" Emmett greeted me cheerfully as always. "Missed you this weekend." He opened his arms wide for a hug, his face expectant.

I couldn't help but smile slightly at his naturally optimistic attitude. He and Alice had a lot in common with the bubbly personality that became contagious most of the time.

"It was only two days," I said, not moving to hug him.

"Don't leave me hangin', Isabella," Emmett warned, pouting.

Rosalie, who was right behind him, just looked at me meaningfully: _Just give him a freaking hug._

I sighed as I walked into his broad chest and got lost in them. I could hardly breathe when he squeezed me tightly. He was so warm. He was like the big brother that I'd never had. I felt comfort and brotherly love radiate off of him in every way.

"You okay?" Emmett asked, finally letting go and studying my eyes intently. He looked really concerned, like a brother should. It was sweet.

I made a slight face. "I'm…hangin' on."

"Fine!" Alice said suddenly. "Be that way!"

Startled, I looked at my best friend, wondering what I'd done to antagonize her this time. But it looked like it wasn't my fault, but somebody she was talking to on the phone. Funny, I hadn't even noticed that her attention was somewhere else. I should have, I guess. Usually, she would interrupt everyone else and greet me.

I looked at the others, who were looking rather frustrated with something. I cocked my head, asking them a silent question.

Rosalie just shook her head like she was saying, _Don't even ask._ Emmett was looking up at the dreary weather, looking extremely bored, and Jasper sighed and looked down at his feet, shuffling them.

"If you're going to be such a stubborn jerk, then you'll never get her!" Alice continued. "And if that's the way you want it, then fine. I'm not going to help you again. Don't regret it when you lose her to someone else." She hung up on the other person and leaned against my Audi, sighing deeply. Her eyes were closed, and she looked pissed.

I swallowed. Alice was a morning person. She was always bright and cheerful, particularly before school started. But if she was already angry about something, that wasn't good.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked. "Some other friend of yours?"

Alice snorted and opened her eyes. "Who do you _think_ I was talking to? Only the most idiotic brother a girl can have in the whole wide world, of course."

I frowned. "But Emmett's right here… Oh." I turned away, my face hardening.

I thought about what she'd been telling him on the phone just a few seconds ago. _If you're going to be such a stubborn jerk, then you'll never get her…_

Hm, I wondered who 'her' was. Who could it be? I was _very_ curious.

"Alice, I would appreciate it if you would not talk about me behind my back," I said stiffly. "I don't care who you're talking to. It's not polite."

"But he's being so stubborn!" Alice burst out. "He thinks that 'giving her space will be better for her'." She made air quotes with her fingers.

"Well, then, maybe it is better for her," I said. "And it would be even more better for her if her friends would butt out of her personal life as well." I began walking toward the buildings.

"Bella, we're only frustrated because we've watched you two for a long time," Rosalie said as they all followed me. "We've watched Edward fall in love with you very deeply over the years, and it's just so…frustrating when he's being an idiot."

"He's never an idiot," I said, unable to stop myself from defending him.

"He is, when it comes to you," Rosalie countered firmly, giving me a small smile. "That much has always been certain to all of us. He never knows what to do with you. Haven't you ever noticed that he spoils you?"

I heaved a big sigh. "So he's my brother now?"

"You know what I mean. He's always giving into everything that you want, always losing for you, always siding with you…not that you were ever wrong, of course," Rosalie added.

Just thinking about him made me feel lousy. "Can we not talk about him, please?"

"In case you're wondering, he's over there, with his friends," Emmett said, pointing with his chin.

I saw a group of jocks over at Mike and Austin's cars from the corner of my eyes, talking loudly and laughing like idiots. I totally recognized the bronze hair.

"I wasn't wondering," I grumbled, but of course, they could tell it was a lie. They didn't say anything to tell me off, but glanced at each other knowingly.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Jasper wanted to know.

"No," I snapped. "I'm planning on ignoring him completely."

"No, Bella!" Alice shrieked a little too loudly, earning half the parking lot's stares. The jocks glanced over as well, looking curious.

"Shut up!" I said crankily. "I can avoid you guys too, if I wanted to."

"NO!" Alice and Rosalie chorused.

Great. Now the entire parking lot was looking at us.

It was silent for a long awkward moment. I was glaring at my two friends, annoyed.

Then, over at the jock group, someone called, "Hey, Bella!"

I pursed my lips when I recognized Mike's voice. He never slipped past an opportunity to capture my attention.

I looked at him, expressionless, and then, my gaze slid from Mike to Edward. He was staring at me with the same poker face that I had on. We had a staring contest for a long time.

Then, feeling weak and vulnerable from staring at his dangerously deep emerald eyes, I looked away first. I continued to walk away, faster this time.

My friends followed silently, and the entire school watched us leave. I didn't remember until later: I'd forgotten to return Mike's greeting, something that I never did.

**Edward's Point of View**

"So what's up with you and Bella, man?" Austin asked. "The whole school's curious. Did you guys really fight? You _never_ fight."

"Yeah," Mike said. "You always give into Bella and lose. Why didn't you do that this time?"

I hated this. I hated the fact that I was the most popular guy on campus. Even my friends were onto me. Stupid life.

"We just had a small argument," I lied. "That's all."

"Well, why don't you go talk to her?" Eric Yorkie suggested. "Make up. You guys never stayed mad at each other longer than, what, two hours?"

"One hour and a half is the exact record time," Austin said, rolling his eyes. "Last time I checked. And _dude_, that was in, like, fifth grade."

I bit my lip as I turned my phone in my hand. I watched as Bella's expression slowly progressed to irritation. I recalled the conversation I'd just had on the phone with Alice.

She was right. I was being a stubborn jerk. But I was afraid. What if she hated me now? I was absolutely certain that she would be avoiding me from now on. And I was afraid of that. What if I tried talking to her and made our relationship worse? Then there would be no turning back.

"Rumor has it that you confessed to her after the dance or something?" Ben Cheney said. "Is it true?"

Before I could think of a lie to satisfy them, there came a very familiar "No, Bella!" from across the parking lot. We all turned to the sound.

Bella looked annoyed as she snapped something inaudible back at my sister. Alice and Rosalie responded with a loud, "NO!", earning startled looks from the entire parking lot.

It was silent for a long time. Then, in order to break the awkward tension in the air, Mike called out, "Hey, Bella!"

I nearly rolled my eyes. It was a totally Mike-like idea.

Bella glanced at us, and her eyes slid from my friend to me. Her expression hardened almost immediately, but she kept her face free of any other emotion.

We kept staring at each other for a long while. I lost track of time. I lost track of everything in her deep, brown, beautiful eyes.

She looked away first. She didn't look back once as she walked away toward the building with my friends and siblings in tow.

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**AN: Short chapter, I know, but still…better than nothing, isn't it? Reviews, please! I'm getting slightly disappointed by the lack of reviews these days!**


	21. Chapter 21: Girlfriend

**Author's Note: I have to say, the amount of reviews did improve, though slightly. So I thought I might update. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 21**

**Bella's Point of View**

"Hi, Bella!" an enthusiastic voice greeted me at my locker during break.

After our fight over the weekend, I wasn't too thrilled to see Tanya Denali waiting for me.

It isn't fair, I told myself. She's done nothing wrong. I forced myself to smile back as convincingly as I could.

"Hi, Tanya," I said, twirling my lock. "How was your weekend?"

"Really good," she said, looking quite smug about something. "I had a great time at the dance on Friday, so it's natural that I should have a good time over the weekend."

I opened the lock silently and began looking through my materials.

"Oh, yeah," Tanya said. "I actually came to thank you."

I paused. "Thank me?"

"Well, I'm dating Edward," Tanya said happily. "And you're the one who introduced me to him, so of course I should thank you!"

Her words created a loud bang. Literally.

Startled, we both looked back to see Alice staring at us. Her Spanish book was on the floor. She looked livid.

"Hey, Alice," Tanya said casually. "You look rather…surprised." There was that smug look again.

I turned back to my locker, trying to hide my face. Tanya's words had shocked me as well. We had been fighting for less than seventy-two hours, and yet, he was already replacing me with a girlfriend.

He missed me? He cared about me? Big whoop. Lies.

"He is _not_ dating you," Alice stressed. "Tell me it's a lie, Tanya Denali."

"Why should I tell you it's a lie when it's true?" Tanya asked smoothly. "We _are_ going out."

"Not possible," Alice said faintly.

"Yeah?" Tanya raised her eyebrow. "Exactly three minutes ago, I caught up to him, and he confirmed that we're dating. We're going out on our first date after school today. He's taking me to Port Angeles to see a movie and eat dinner."

I felt a lump in my throat. I felt pathetic, like I'd lost an argument.

Swallowing hard, I closed the locker door a little harder than I'd meant to. "That's great, Tanya. Congratulations."

"Bella!" Alice looked horrified. "How can you even say that?"

Tanya smiled crookedly. Her eyes flashed, but I didn't register it. "Thanks, Bella. I hope you don't mind that I'll be monopolizing his time from now on."

"Of course not. I'll see you later." I walked past her, gripping my book tightly in my arms.

Alice caught up to me, looking furious. "You _cannot_ be serious about this, Bella! How can you say that? She is _such_ a liar. Edward would never date someone who intentionally broke off his friendship with you!"

"Intentionally?" I repeated in a low voice. "Isn't that too harsh, Alice? Tanya hasn't done anything wrong."

"If only you knew," she said darkly. "She wanted Edward, and you were in the way, so she _got_ you out of the way. Don't you understand?"

I shook my head. "Tanya's my friend. I trust her. She'll be good for Edward." I stopped short when I saw a tall figure with bronze hair in front of me.

"Bella, you can't…" Alice stopped when she saw her brother. "Edward."

Edward didn't speak for a long time. He just stared at me, and it occurred to me that he had overheard everything. My gaze lowered when the lump in my throat rose again. My eyes began to sting.

"Alice," he finally greeted her. "Jasper was looking for you."

Alice still looked angry from her argument with him earlier. On top of that, she'd just been told that he was apparently dating someone she didn't particularly like. Her lips were pursed, and she didn't speak.

Edward's gaze flickered back to me. The intensity of it made me uncomfortable. I began walking again, fully intent on passing him without another unwelcome incident.

But, of course, Alice had to interfere, the little pixie.

She grabbed my arm and yanked me back. "Tanya just told us that you've agreed to date her, Edward. Isn't that interesting?" Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.

He looked unsurprised. "Interesting," he repeated, to humor her.

"What I want to know is…" Her eyes flashed dangerously. "How did _that_ happen? Weren't you the one telling us that she wasn't your type? And after what happened last Friday, I should think that you would have the sense to refuse her, even if she did ask you out personally."

"I saw no reason to turn her down," he said tiredly.

My eyes jumped to his face. Out of habit, he immediately looked concerned when he read the hurt on my face. And then, he looked rather confused.

"No reason to…" Alice looked ready to explode. "What do you mean? What about Bella? You've admitted that she's everything to you, and-" She stopped talking when I clasped my hand on her mouth.

"I think you need to calm down," I informed her icily. I turned back to her brother. "You guys can continue your argument later, when I'm not around."

I released my best friend and walked away. As I walked past Edward, he made an involuntary move, as though he was reaching out to touch me. At the last second, he stopped himself, and he didn't turn to watch me as I walked out of sight.

**Edward's Point of View**

I walked in on Alice and Bella speaking to each other. Behind them, Tanya caught my eye, grinned smugly, and flounced away.

"If only you knew," Alice was saying. "She wanted Edward, and you were in the way, so she _got_ you out of the way. Don't you understand?"

It was obvious they were talking about Tanya. She must have told them.

Just now, Tanya had just caught up to me and asked me out. At first, my instincts had told me to say no. But then, I began to wonder. And I decided that I wanted to test it out. I was curious to see if Bella would feel jealous if I was with another girl.

Not that she had before. But the girls I'd dated before were girls she didn't like. So it hadn't bothered her, naturally. But since she considered Tanya as her friend, it would bring out more reaction from her.

"Tanya's my friend," Bella answered in a low voice, though she didn't look particularly happy. Was that jealousy? "I trust her. She'll be good for Edward."

I resisted the urge to scoff and roll my eyes. Luckily, Bella provided the distraction I needed, and spotted me. She tensed immediately, and her expression darkened.

I couldn't believe we were having this fight. Honestly, it was about the strangest subject to have a fight on: the fact that I'd confessed, and the fact that she might have been jealous. The easiest thing to do was to talk to her and work it out. But I had a feeling this was going to go on for a while.

"Bella, you can't…" Alice, too, spotted me. "Edward," she greeted me curtly.

She was obviously very unhappy with me. But I wasn't planning on telling her my real motive for agreeing to go out with Tanya. I wasn't going to tell Rosalie, Emmett, or Jasper either. They were bound to tell Bella, and I didn't want that.

I stared at her for a long moment. It had only been two days since I'd last seen her, but it felt like it's been years. Her beautiful face…

"Alice," I said finally. "Jasper was looking for you."

I turned back to Bella. She looked uncomfortable by my attention, and she tried to continue walking. But my sister held her back.

Lecture time.

"Tanya just told us that you've agreed to date her, Edward," Alice said, seemingly struggling to keep her tone light and sarcastic instead of shouting. "Isn't that interesting?"

I decided I'd better humor the enraged pixie for now. "Interesting."

"What I want to know is…" Her eyes flashed, and I resisted the urge to take a step back. "How did _that_ happen? Weren't you the one telling us that she wasn't your type? And after what happened last Friday, I should think that you would have the sense to refuse her, even if she did ask you out personally."

Of course she would point that out.

"I saw no reason to turn her down," I said wearily.

Of course I had. There were tons of reasons to turn Tanya down. First, I didn't like her. Second, I didn't like her. And third, I didn't like her.

Bella met my gaze, and I was surprised and concerned to see hurt evident on her face. I almost asked her what was wrong before I remembered about our fight. Why was she hurt?

"No reason to…" Alice repeated incredulously. "What do you mean?" Now, she was on the edge of exploding. I was thankful that we weren't at home. She wouldn't have hesitated to yell and scream at me. "What about Bella? You've admitted that she's everything to you, and-"

Bella clamped her mouth and said acidly, "I think you need to calm down." She glanced back at me and added, "You guys can continue your argument later, when I'm not around."

She let go of her and walked forward, past me. As she passed, my hand reached out involuntarily to touch her. I stopped myself at the last minute. As much as I loved her, and wanted her in my arms and feel her presence, now was not the time.

Besides, my angry sister was practically growling at me. She wasn't just a pixie at the moment. She was a very dangerous pixie, with magical powers.

As if. More like magical voice that could destroy my eardrums.

"Edward Cullen," Alice snarled. "You'll pay for this."

I gave her a small smile. "Are you going to sit on me again?"

"This isn't a joke!" she said. "Are you _insane_? Of all the girls at this school, even if it wasn't Bella, did you _have_ to pick a girl who's…" She struggled to find the right word.

"Psychotic?" I suggested.

"Yes! Why, Edward? Do you _want_ to see me die?"

I sighed, rather impatient now. "I had my reasons. So suck it up, sis. Jasper's waiting for you in front of the library." I brushed past her and continued on my way.

"Okay!" Alice called after me angrily, attracting tons of stares. "Now it's official! I hate you!" She turned and stormed away.

I ignored the surprised looks of the students as I passed. Everyone knew that the Cullen siblings got along very well with each other. And we _never_ said that we hated each other. Ever. A bit surprising that she'd said that, I admit.

But I wasn't surprised at the fact that she did hate me. I deserved it.

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**AN: Don't worry! You'll hate Tanya even more from now on! Isn't that wonderful news? Keep the reviews coming, please! Or I might not update for a very long time!**


	22. Chapter 22: Excuses

**Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. A bit short, but enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 22**

"…the thing for you to do is to get a random guy and date him so you can make him jealous," Alice was saying at top speed. She had been babbling since the bell had rung, signaling dismissal, about seven minutes ago. I didn't know how she had gotten out of class so quickly and joined me just as rapidly, but this was pixie drama queen we were talking about. She was capable of anything.

"You will make him regret his decision to go out with that girl," Alice babbled. "You will transform your look so that you look sexy and even more beautiful than usual that he will feel hurt whenever he sees another guy holding your hand, and…"

I tuned her out, leaving her to her own fantasy world. Sometimes, it was so easy to hang out with her. Let her go on and on about something totally impossible, and she would burn down later.

Rosalie had joined us about five minutes ago, and upon discovering that Alice was in one of her talkative, excited, angry, pissed moods, she, too, had decided to let her talk without interruptions.

"…stupid brother whom I officially hate now…" Alice spit out as she babbled on.

Students glanced at her amusedly as we passed by on our way to the parking lot. But Rose and I weren't embarrassed. At first, we had been, but now, we were too used to this kind of behavior from our friend.

"…alright?" Alice asked sharply, and Rosalie and I jumped.

When we looked at her blankly, she sighed exasperatedly. "You weren't even listening, were you?"

"Of course we were," I said mildly, and Rosalie nodded, her eyes wide and innocent. "What were you saying?"

Alice rolled her eyes while Rosalie stifled a laugh. "Okay, okay, smart aleck. I was _saying_ that you should totally get a boyfriend."

I raised my eyebrows. "If this is about Edward dating Tanya-"

"Of course it's about that!" Alice snapped. "He loves _you_, not Tanya! So the only way to make him regret his decision about agreeing to date her is to get yourself a boyfriend and flirt with him in front of that stupid brother of mine and make him jealous!"

Rosalie looked intrigued. "That's an idea."

"Ha!" I snickered. "No, thank you. I think I'll be perfectly fine. I won't _die_ if he's not around me. I'll survive."

"This isn't about you! It's about making him regret and pay for his mistakes!"

"Leave him alone, Alice," I said reproachfully. "You should have more respect for your brother. He knows what he's doing." I paused dramatically. "He gets better grades than you do."

Rosalie busted out laughing while Alice scowled. "Hey, that's _not_ funny! It isn't my fault he's a smart freak with all the brains! Heaven knows I try harder than he does."

"Yeah, Bella," Rosalie said, fighting to keep her face straight. "You shouldn't be saying that to her. It's because of her hard work she's getting all A's…with the exception of one B."

She and I burst out laughing as Rosalie dodged Alice's attempts at aiming for her shin. "Whose side are _you_ on, Rosalie Hale?"

People stared curiously as we made our way across the parking lot, still laughing at Alice's cross attitude.

Emmett and Jasper were already by our cars. Edward's Volvo was already gone, no doubt taking Tanya out on their first date.

I tried not to think about it and tried to enjoy this moment. It wasn't every day I had a good laugh like this. And as Rosalie and I continued to laugh and tease Alice, I felt lighter than I had in weeks, and it felt nice.

Maybe it showed on my face. Because Emmett and Jasper perked up when they saw me laughing genuinely, and Rosalie was continuing to do this on purpose, to lighten up the atmosphere. Even Alice's gaze seemed to soften as she played along by pretending to be offended.

"What's the joke?" Jasper asked, smiling pleasantly.

"Yeah," Emmett chimed in. "Share it with us."

"We were just teasing Alice about her grades," Rosalie snickered. "How she works so hard…only to get a single B."

"And a whopping B-plus, at that," I added, snorting with laughter. "Eighty-nine-point-eight percent in a class where her teacher refuses to round up."

Alice stomped her foot. "Hey! Shawn Johnson is a freaking Biology butthole! It is not fair. That freaking point-two percent…" She pouted. "He should have totally rounded up. I was going to sue him, but Mr. Smarty-Pants talked me out of it. I should never have listened to him!"

"Who are we talking about?" Jasper asked.

"Edward," Rosalie answered, still giggling.

"But I have to agree," I said, as I tossed my bag inside my car. "Mr. Johnson should have rounded up her grade. It really wasn't fair."

"Well," Emmett said. "He's finally doing it. He's on his first date with Miss Slutty-Skirt. He abandoned us, so we need a ride. Bella, do you mind?"

I smiled slightly, though I felt a painful jab in my heart. "Of course not. Anywhere specific in mind, or just home?"

"Just home is fine. I have lots of homework to do."

"Will you join us today?" Alice asked hopefully. "It's been a while since you came over, and Carlisle and Esme have been asking about you."

I sighed as I slid into the driver's seat. "Okay."

Alice and Rosalie slid into my backseat. Rosalie handed Jasper her car keys so that he and Emmett could take her M3 and follow us to the Cullens.

I was amused throughout the entire car ride, listening to Alice and Rosalie's debate on who was better at singing: Hugh Jackman or Russell Crowe from _Les Misérables_.

"Bella, what do you think?" Alice asked impatiently. "Don't you think Russell Crowe had the unique voice?"

"Well, I could hear him when the entire cast was singing," I said mildly. "Does that count?"

"Yes! It means he has that kind of voice that sets him apart from other voices! See, Rose! I told you!"

"But there's a reason Hugh Jackman was starred as the _lead_, Alice! Besides, he has a very clear voice, and you can _actually_ distinguish the words, whereas Russell Crowe has that husky tone…"

They continued arguing back and forth, making me giggle now and then. They were both pouting when we arrived at the Cullen house, as they hadn't come to a conclusion.

"We'll continue this later," Alice hissed at Rosalie as we entered the house.

"Deal."

"Bella!" Esme greeted me warmly. "Long time no see! I missed you!" She gave me a hug.

"Hi, Esme," I said, smiling. "I'm sorry I didn't come for a while. I was involved in other…stuff."

"How are Renee and Charlie doing?" Carlisle asked as he came into view from the kitchen. "Hi, Bella."

"Carlisle," I said, nodding. "Charlie came home during the weekends. I don't know about Renee; I haven't talked to her in a while."

"Thank goodness," Esme said, watching me worriedly as I grabbed one of her famous brownies. "At least Charlie has the sense to come back. You're not alone anymore, so that's a relief. If one of them hadn't come back, I was going to suggest that you come stay with us until they do."

Emmett choked on his piece of brownie, and had to run into the kitchen for a glass of milk. Rosalie swallowed on hers hard, glancing at me nervously. Alice shook her head rapidly behind my back at her parents, her eyes wide. Jasper merely continued to eat.

"It's okay, Esme," I said, trying to sound convincing. "I mean, I have Charlie back now, so it's fine."

"Well, that's a relief," Esme said, smiling.

"Why isn't Edward with you?" Carlisle asked.

Either they were really blunt about what had happened between Edward and me over the weekends, or they were determined to keep me in Edward's life.

"He's on his first date with Tanya Denali," Alice said in a bright sarcastic tone. "Isn't that _wonderful_?"

"What?" Esme looked surprised. "They're going out now?"

I slipped away without them noticing and headed upstairs. I hesitated in front of Edward's door. I didn't want to go in there to study if he wasn't going to be there. Instead, I slipped into Alice's room.

About twenty minutes later, when the four of them had apparently finished explaining today's events to Carlisle and Esme, they joined me.

"We thought you would be in Edward's room," Alice said. "So we looked, but you weren't there. You always study in there."

I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could. "It didn't seem right, since the owner isn't there right now."

She snorted. "Since when did you worry about that? Even when he was out with the boys on a football game, you used his room. He didn't care, you didn't care."

"Alice," Emmett said warningly, and he shot her a look that said: _Let it go_.

I was grateful for his intervention. I was running out of excuses. And if I wanted to continue making them, I would have to try harder, and pretend harder.

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**AN: What did you think? I gotta say, I'm loving the reviews. Keep 'em coming!**


	23. Chapter 23: Bet

**Author's Note: Hey, y'all! I'm back! It's been a few days since my last update, I know. And I'm doubly sorry to tell you that this chapter is very short. Still, enjoy my updated stories!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 23**

**Edward's Point of View**

I came home at ten o'clock, way earlier than Tanya had wanted. But I couldn't stand another minute of her constant nasal tone and close contact. She was like an unwanted gum on the sole of your shoe that refused to come off no matter how hard you tried.

"Why is the lover boy home so early?" Emmett asked as he opened the door for me. I had forgotten my key, something I never did. It was another proof that I wasn't in my right state of mind without Bella.

"Yeah," Jasper said, joining us. "We thought you'd be back at midnight or something. What's wrong? Tanya didn't want to go to a hotel?" He and Emmett snickered and bumped fists.

"Very funny," I said sarcastically. "What are you still doing here, Jasper? It's past your curfew, isn't it?"

Jasper snorted. "Very funny," he repeated. "I don't have a curfew. No, Esme invited us for a sleepover. Thought we might as well, considering the fact that Alice won't let Rosalie leave without a complete makeover."

"Which, I don't get," Emmett said, scratching his head. "What's the point of a makeover at night? I mean, if they were going out to some club, it's totally understandable, but…"

I sighed wearily and trudged into the kitchen with them tailing me. I poured myself a glass of cold water, then started opening the cabinets for the bag of coffee.

"What are you doing?" Emmett asked curiously as I opened the bag and leaned in to inhale.

"Trying to regain my sense of smell."

"What?"

Jasper laughed, having understood. "Oh. Tanya poured perfume all over herself, huh?"

I nodded as my headache increased. "I will never date another girl who wears perfume again."

"Well," Emmett said slyly. "If the girl is Bella, then I'm sure she would be an exception."

I scowled as I turned away. "That's not funny."

"Speaking of Bella…" Jasper paused dramatically. "She's here."

I knocked over the glass cup. Luckily, there was no water inside anymore, but it crashed onto the wooden floor with a loud sound. I didn't move.

"Jeez, bro," Emmett mumbled. "You're really upset, aren't you?"

"What happened?" Esme asked as she rushed into the kitchen. She glanced at the floor. "Edward?"

"Sorry, Esme," I said, feeling numb. "I had a clumsy moment."

Jasper snorted while Esme raised her eyebrows. "You, a clumsy moment?" She chuckled as she reached for a broom and a dustpan. "You're not Bella, Edward."

I reached for the broom. "I'll do it, Esme."

"No, no," she insisted. "Go ahead. You look tired. Go wash up." She looked sympathetic. "The girls are in the library, so unless you'd like to see them, don't go in there."

Leave it to Esme to know everything. I was grateful for the information. I was going to avoid the library for now.

"They're done with the makeover?" Emmett asked, perking up. "Awesome. We should all watch a movie."

"No," I said. "I just watched a romance with Tanya. No way."

"Fine. Action, then," Jasper shrugged as we headed upstairs.

"Yeah, the girls would love that," Emmett snorted.

"Bella would," I said quietly.

They looked at each other, then at me. Luckily, they didn't say anything.

As we were passing by the library, there was a loud shriek from the room. Alice was shrieking Bella's name, while Rosalie seemed to be freaking out over something horrible.

Emmett frowned. "Do you think they saw a spider or something? You know how they get around bugs."

The library door flew open, and Alice stood there, her eyes wild. "You! What are you doing here so early?"

Rosalie stumbled slightly as she joined my sister at the doorway. "Edward! My goodness, what happened to you? You're covered in lipstick!"

"He is?" Emmett and Jasper glanced over me.

I rolled my eyes. "Did you see some spider?"

"Spider?" Alice screeched. "Yeah, right. More like a rodent! I can't believe she did that!"

"It was your idea," Bella's voice sounded from the library. Just hearing it made my heart throb. "I only went along with the plan and told him yes."

"But still!" Alice whirled around to face Bella. "Mike Newton? How could you?"

"What's going on?" Jasper asked, frowning.

"Newton just called," Rosalie told her brother. "He wanted to ask Bella out, and he did. Again. And she said yes."

"Bella!" Emmett and Jasper chorused, looking horrified.

Bella appeared in the doorway. She glanced at me briefly before looking at the other boys. "What? Don't look at me like that. It was all Alice." She slipped out from between Alice and Rosalie, then headed toward a guestroom. "I'm going to bed."

"Bella!" Alice said, upset. "This isn't a joke! Mike _Newton_?"

I didn't realize that my fists were clenched very tightly. I hadn't noticed that I was very tensed, and that I was glowering. At Alice.

The guestroom closed, and Alice turned to me quickly. "I swear, it wasn't me, Edward. It was totally Bella!"

"It was you, pixie," Rosalie groaned. "You're the one that suggested this. It was a stupid plan in the first place."

"Hey, you agreed with me!"

"What plan?" I hissed.

Alice backed away. "I wanted to make you regret your decision to date Tanya, so I suggested that Bella get a boyfriend to make you jealous. But I swear, I only said that because I knew she would say no! I never thought she would actually do it! Mike Newton…" She groaned. "Jacob Black is better than he is!"

My face hardened even more. "What do you expect me to do now?"

"I'm sorry!" Alice pleaded. "I swear, I'll put this right."

"Forget it," Rosalie said. "Bella's too stubborn. She won't back out now. Let's test it out." She turned to me. "How about a bet?"

"A bet?" Emmett and Jasper chorused, looking interested. Gamblers.

"Bet?" I repeated, raising my eyebrow curtly. "What bet?"

"We already told you our plan. But if you still get jealous and can't control your temper, then you're going to have to break it off with Tanya and ask Bella out instead. Fair deal?"

"If she'll have me," I mumbled.

"She will," Alice said confidently. "Do we have a deal or not?"

"What if he doesn't get jealous?" Emmett asked.

Rosalie snorted. "Please. He will. But, if he doesn't…" She sighed. "We'll get Bella to break it off with Mike, and talk to you. Deal?"

My eyes narrowed at the pair of them. After a moment of silence, I agreed. "Deal. It's not like it's a choice."

Alice smirked. "True. We would make you do it if you refused. Well, good night, boys." She gave Jasper a kiss on the cheek before flouncing off to her bedroom.

Rosalie did the same with Emmett, except on the lips. She gave her brother a peck on his cheek as well before leaving for her own guestroom. Emmett and Jasper looked at me.

I sighed wearily as I shrugged off my jacket and headed for my bedroom. "Life's hard."

"Yeah," Emmett mumbled. "Movie night's over even before it began."

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**AN: I warned you it was short. Sorry about that! But…you'll still leave me tons of reviews, right?**


	24. Chapter 24: Tarot

**Author's Note: This chapter is probably a bit foreign. The idea is not used often, but I thought it would be an interesting way to emphasize the fact that Edward and Bella belong together. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 24**

**Bella's Point of View**

I beat everyone else to school. Although I had slept over at the Cullens, I woke up at five in the morning and went back home. I took a shower, then made a surprised Charlie breakfast before I left for school.

Mike came over to my Audi as I was waiting for everyone else to arrive. "Hey, Bella." He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

I resisted the urge to lean away. He was moving a bit too fast for my liking.

"So…I thought we should go out on a date tonight," he said. "We'll go catch a movie and eat dinner. What do you say?"

I nodded. "Sounds good."

At that moment, a familiar Volvo and M3 filed inside the parking lot, and both slid inside their usual parking spaces neatly.

Alice was by my side even before Edward had cut the engine. "Hi, Mike. So I heard you asked Bella out. Can you take that back?"

"Alice," I said warningly. "Butt out."

Jasper and Rosalie leaned on the M3 casually, watching the scene with identical scowls. Emmett leaned on the Volvo's hood, looking displeased. Edward was standing next to me, which was a first in a long time. He must be jealous already.

"Mike," Edward greeted him coldly. "What brings you here so early in the morning?"

Mike shrugged. "Just asking Bella out. We're going to Port Angeles for a movie and a dinner."

"Ooh, let's make it a double date!" Tanya said, flouncing over and linking her arm through Edward's. "What do you think, Bella?"

Mike looked annoyed. "Tanya, we just started dating. I want to spend some time with Bella alone-"

"Tell you what!" Alice interrupted brightly. "Let's make it a quadruple date! Emmett and Rosalie and Jazz and I will go as well! How about it?"

I understood their plan immediately. Alice's goal was to make sure I wasn't alone with Mike at all, which I was grateful for. Though I didn't know how long she would be able to keep it up.

"That's a good idea!" Tanya said. "The more, the merrier !"

Edward shot her a suspicious look. He was probably wondering what she was planning, led on by the paranoid thought that she actually had some kind of evil plan in mind. It didn't make sense.

"How about it, Mike?" she continued. "We'll have lots of fun!"

Mike hesitated. He turned to Rosalie. "Wouldn't your parents mind?"

I nearly rolled my eyes. Such a feeble attempt in trying to get them away.

"Our parents are completely fine with whatever we do, as long as we keep each other in check," Rosalie said promptly. "And since we'll both be there, it's not a problem. Right, Jazz?"

"Right, Rose," Jasper answered without missing a beat.

They were too perfect in everything that they did, these blonde twins, and that included acting. I would have been exasperated, except I was enjoying the frustrated look on Mike's face.

Mike turned to Alice. "What about _your_ parents?"

Alice shrugged casually, also enjoying his look of discomfort but trying not to show it. "Emmett and I go out on dates without telling them all the time, and they never worry. And since they know Edward has a girlfriend now, they won't question us if he doesn't come home right away. It's not a problem."

Mike looked sullen. "Well, I'm fine with it if Bella's okay with it." He looked at me hopefully.

I was busy trying to stifle a laugh. Despite the tension and seriousness of the atmosphere, I was tempted to bust out laughing. Which was quite a feat, considering Edward was right next to me. So close that I could feel the electricity between us.

Alice stepped on my toe inconspicuously. But of course I would've answered in the affirmative, even without the nudge.

"I'm completely fine with it," I finally managed to say without laughing.

"Perfect!" Alice chirped, clapping her hands. "Everyone's fine with this, right? Emmett?"

"Bring it on," Emmett said, winking.

"Edward?" Everyone but Mike noticed the glare she shot at him.

But I knew that Edward, too, would've answered positively without the glare.

"I'm completely fine with it," Edward repeated my words.

I resisted the urge to punch him playfully like I would usually do. It was hard to restrain myself, as it had become a habit.

"We'll go right after school, then," Alice said. "Yeah?"

"Okay," Mike muttered, looking crestfallen.

Inside, I was cheering. I wouldn't need to let him kiss me tonight. Hopefully, my friends would prevent that. Hooray for friends. For once in a long time, I was glad to have them by my side.

* * *

Alice suggested that we leave with our respected partners. I was okay with it, except the fact that Mike was the one driving _my_ Audi. It bothered me a lot.

First, he was driving way slower than I did. And that was saying something. And second, he wouldn't stop talking. I would rather go on a long car ride with Edward in an awkward silence than face this again.

I was relieved when we arrived at the movie theatre to catch an early movie. It was an action movie, which I adored, thanks to growing up with Edward, Emmett, and Jasper. I preferred them to romance.

After the movie, we went to the Italian restaurant that the Cullens usually took me to. Edward excused himself in the middle of dinner and disappeared off to the counter. He came back moments later, announcing that the paycheck was taken care of.

I was used to it, so I didn't make a fuss. I'd given up trying to prevent the Cullens in buying things for me years ago. But Mike looked uncomfortable, as though he was disappointed that he couldn't prove himself to me.

After dinner, Rosalie suggested that we walk around to burn off the calories.

"I'm going to burst," she complained. "I won't fit into my cheerleading outfit."

"I agree," Tanya said. "Let's walk around."

So in the end, we left the cars in front of the restaurant and began walking around the neighborhood.

It was around eight o'clock. It was getting dark, and the full moon was out. It was pretty, and I was distracted by it, which was lucky, because Mike had been trying to get my attention for the past ten minutes. He'd been trying to convince me to go somewhere private with him for a while.

Edward, too, looked pretty uncomfortable with Tanya clutching at him with her claws. She kept complaining that her feet hurt, which didn't make sense. She was wearing heels, but Rosalie's was at least two inches higher than hers was, and Rose was completely fine.

"Oh, my god!" Alice said suddenly, pointing straight ahead. "A psychic reading shop! I've always wanted to do that! Is anyone else interested?"

Without waiting for an answer, she dragged Jasper ahead, leaving the rest of us to follow quickly.

The inside was mysteriously decorated with purple wallpapers. Crystal balls were on the shelves, and weird figurines and voodoo dolls…

"Hello?" Alice called. "Is anyone here?"

The shop did seem to be empty, but there was a sound behind us.

Edward and I were covering the rear, and we whirled around simultaneously. I felt kind of silly, knowing that we still shared many things even as we fought.

"Hello," a woman in her mid-sixties said cheerfully. She wore normal clothes, and looked completely normal. She didn't belong in this mysteriously decorated room. "Are you here for a reading?"

"Yes!" Alice said enthusiastically. "Are you the psychic?"

The woman chuckled as she took her place at the table. "I suppose I am. You may call me Ave. Now…" She peered at us. "How old are you? At least one of you must be eighteen."

"I'm eighteen," Jasper and Rosalie chorused.

"Same," Emmett agreed.

"Perfect!" Ave chirped. "Alright. Who's going first?"

"I want to know our compatibility," Alice said, glancing at Jasper. "You know, our love lives. Is that okay?"

"It's thirty dollars per couple," Ave said, squinting her eyes. "Plus another twenty if you want individual readings about your life in general."

Alice rolled her eyes and laughed. "Don't worry. We won't run away without paying. Come on, Jazz."

Alice and Jasper sat down in front of Ave, who spread out her tarot cards in front of them. "Pick three each."

They both picked three, and Ave glanced at them. "Hm. Not bad. Not bad at all."

"What?" Alice asked breathlessly. "Are we a good couple?"

Jasper smiled as he glanced at Alice. I could tell that he didn't believe in these things, but was only humoring her to make her happy.

"You're a pretty good couple…for your age," Ave said, raising her eyebrows. She looked impressed. "You both understand each other and accept each other. That's interesting. Not many teens can do that at their age. If you keep it up, you can stay together forever." She nodded.

Alice squealed softly. "Really? So we can get married?"

Jasper laughed. "Alice…" He didn't protest or anything, but merely looked at her affectionately.

Ave glanced down at the cards again. "That goes into your personal life. Would you add another twenty for that?"

"Of course."

Ave actually smiled widely. "You kids must be loaded. It says here that both your lives will be filled with money. You'll have no problems financially… Health-wise…no problem. Yes, you have bright futures ahead of you."

She looked up suddenly and winked at Jasper mischievously. "Don't hesitate when you feel like you want to propose to her. No worries there."

Alice squealed. "Oh my gosh! That's so cool!"

Jasper bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Alright. I'll keep that in mind." He winked back at her.

Alice and Jasper moved out of the way, and Emmett and Rosalie took their place. They picked three cards each as well, and the woman studied them.

"Huh," Ave said. "That's weird. I've never seen teenagers so clearly…but you guys know what you're going to do, eh? You're absolutely set on it. Especially you, young man," she said, narrowing her eyes at Emmett. "Follow your instincts when it comes to your girl, and you should be fine."

"Thanks for the advice," Emmett said cheerfully.

"You," Ave barked at Rosalie. "Don't ever hesitate. Do what you want to do in life – marry, become a model, whatever – and you'll succeed. Just follow your heart."

Rosalie grinned. "Nice to know."

After a few more minutes, they moved aside, and Tanya dragged Edward to take their place.

Ave frowned almost immediately when she saw the cards. "What's this?" She began muttering nonsense to herself. "Impossible."

She looked up. She completely disregarded Tanya, and studied Edward intently. "What's your name, boy?"

Edward raised his eyebrows. "Edward."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

Ave studied him for a while longer, then turned back to his cards. "First, I'll tell you what I see in your life."

"What about our compatibility?" Tanya interjected, but she was ignored again.

"You'll be quite successful," Ave said. "You'll go to your dream college, become what you want, and have more than enough money you need. But as for your love life…" She shot Tanya a sharp look. "This isn't right." She pointed at the pair of them and glared. "No, no. This isn't correct."

They looked confused.

"Let me tell you straight out, boy," Ave said. "If you keep this one by your side, your love life will fail. If you keep going on this path, you'll lose the one you truly love forever."

Alice gasped. Rosalie's hand jumped to her mouth. Emmett and Jasper gawked. As for me, I froze.

Edward didn't looked surprised at all. He merely looked intrigued now. "Really? That's interesting."

"That's insulting," Tanya sniffed. "Of course I'm right for Edward. You're wrong."

Ave glanced at her. "I've never been wrong in my entire life, girlie."

Tanya flushed.

"So if I lose her," Edward said, leaning forward, "will I ever get her back?"

I blinked as I stared at him. What was he doing? Did he really believe in this stuff?

Ave scratched her chin. "It'll be hard. You'll lose her trust. I would say it's better to give up this nonsense now, and go after the one you love instead. But your choice." She shrugged.

"What about mine?" Tanya demanded.

Ave snorted as she reshuffled the deck without a second glance at her cards. "Nothing to see. You have a life full of hardships ahead of you, girl. It would be wise to stop what you're planning now, before you regret it."

Tanya froze. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. She looked creeped out by the psychic.

"But you two…" Ave paused in shuffling and looked from Tanya to Edward. "You two bother me. It's wrong."

"You keep saying that," Alice said. "What's so wrong about them?"

"They're…not right for each other," Ave said. "Completely wrong. I don't know what game fate is trying to play, but this is completely and totally wrong. Whose next?"

Mike dragged me to the chairs, and Ave squinted at me. She held out the cards wordlessly to us, and even as we picked the three cards, she kept staring at me.

She glanced at Mike's cards, and tutted as she laughed. She cast them aside and informed him, "You too. If you don't start studying hard, you'll have a miserable life, financially and personally. But it's not you I'm interested in."

She turned to me. "What's _your_ name, girl?"

"Bella."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"You and Edward are close, no?"

I blinked. Behind me, Edward shifted uncomfortably. Alice and Rosalie looked fascinated.

"I see it now," Ave said, looking pleased. "I've never seen a more stronger bond and relationship between two people. But you two…" She pointed at Mike and me. "Wrong! Completely wrong!"

I flinched at her sudden shouts. "What?"

"It's like them," Ave said, pointing at Tanya and Edward. "Wrong. Not right. Horrible matching. Now…_you_ two…" She pointed at Edward and me. "Completely right."

Alice grinned. "Really?"

"What are you doing with people who aren't right for you?" Ave asked. "You should be together. You should understand each other. Accept each other's feelings, and go on from there. I can tell you right now…" She snorted. "If you get together now, you'll have an easier life in the future.

"And since I'm feeling excited to read such an impressive compatibility and future, I'll tell you this as well. You would both do well if you were together forever."

Rosalie's eyes widened. "Like…marriage?"

Ave nodded. "Marriage. Bingo." She reshuffled the cards as her gaze shifted back to me. "Brace yourself, Bella. Your hardships don't end here. Your parents fighting…having the worst fight of your life with your best friend…that was nothing. From now on, you'll come to know what _real_ hardship is. But don't worry. You'll get your happy ending. Eventually."

She smiled. "Two hundred bucks. Cough up, kiddies."

Alice grinned as Jasper paid the woman. "That was fun. You're really good. Can you guarantee that your predictions will one hundred percent come true?"

"Of course," Ave snorted. "What can I say? I'm gifted." She smiled, pleased. "Good luck, kids. And you."

She looked at me, this time, with a sympathetic look in her eyes. "Don't resist. When you feel like nobody is on your side, there will be one person who will be. Accept that person, and don't resist anymore."

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**AN: What do you think? Interesting, huh? Reviews, please!**


	25. Chapter 25: Comfort

**Author's Note: So! I'm back. This week went by fast! It was probably because I'd been dreading a choir concert that took place on Friday. But anyway, since it was the last concert of the year, hopefully there will be no more forgetting to update! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 25**

**Edward's Point of View**

I didn't believe in psychic readings and tarot cards. They were a bunch of nonsense that people turned to during desperate times. They were silly. And they didn't make sense.

But I couldn't deny the fact that I was interested in what Ave had told us about Bella and my future. And I was somewhat satisfied to learn that she and I were completely compatible…and that we had a future together.

But that was a big if, of course. _If_ I made up our fight with her. _If_ I could get her to date me. _If_ I could get two bothersome gums off our shoes.

I felt a huge wave of jealousy when I saw Mike leaned into kiss Bella on the cheek. He got out of the car, waving, and headed up his driveway. She watched him leave with a thoughtful expression on her face, and I knew her enough to know that she, too, was thinking about the predictions Ave had made for us.

I wanted to dump Tanya and run to Bella right away, but I still wasn't sure about all this. I wanted to make sure I was positive about Bella before I gave up my plan on making her jealous.

I honked my horn briefly to get her attention. When she turned to look at me from her Audi, I raised my eyebrow, asking her a silent question. She knew _me_ well enough to understand.

She nodded, and gestured for me to go first. I drove on, and I glanced at the rearview mirror to see Bella right behind my car, and Emmett driving Rose's M3 behind her.

"It's really too bad the evening ended quickly," Tanya said when I stopped outside her house. "Are you sure you don't want to come inside for a drink? I swear, my dad's not home." She smiled flirtatiously.

Danger zone. I was an idiot when it came to Bella, but I wasn't a fool when it came to Tanya. "No, thank you. Go ahead. It's getting late."

Tanya smirked as she watched me glanced at the rearview mirror at the Audi. "You'll change your mind about her very soon. I'll make sure of that."

I turned my head to look at her coldly. "What do you mean?"

Tanya shrugged casually. "Oh…nothing much. You'll find out soon." She leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my head at the last minute so that she would get my cheek instead.

She didn't seem to mind, though. She was in a good mood, strangely.

I was nervous. What was she planning now? Hadn't she already done enough by separating Bella and me?

I watched Tanya go in, then drove on. Bella and Emmett followed me, until I saw Bella pull over to take a phone call. Emmett and I pulled over as well to wait for her.

I watched as Bella's face grew devastated. She looked like she was arguing with someone. I wanted to be by her side to comfort her. Finally, her expression turned angry, and she began shouting.

Her lips moved rapidly and angrily as she blurted out all the things she wanted to say. No doubt it was Charlie or Renee.

After about five minutes of constant arguing, Bella snapped something in her tone before hanging up on the other person, leaving me to wonder what it was about.

**Bella's Point of View**

I pulled over when I got a call on my phone. It was Charlie.

"Hi, Dad," I said as I watched Edward pull over in front of me. "What's up?"

"Bella," Charlie said curtly. "I'm going down to La Push, alright?"

"What?" I asked, alarmed. "You just came back. What's wrong?"

"Your mother came home," he said. "We had another argument. She's being stubborn."

"Stubborn?" I repeated. "Dad. Is she still there?"

"Yeah, she's still wrecking the living room." He sounded sarcastically bitter.

"Am I going to be cleaning up the mess again?" I asked, my voice trembling from the anger I felt now. "Are you both going to leave me alone again? In that house? Do you know how I feel when I'm alone?"

"I'm sorry, Bella. But at the moment, we have no choice."

"Stop thinking only about yourselves!" I yelled suddenly. I couldn't help it. I'd lost my temper. "It isn't fair! Don't you ever think of _me_? Your daughter, your only daughter who gets affected more than the two of you put together? Can't you understand that all I want is a normal, happy family with parents who got along very well with each other? _Is that too much to ask for?_"

"Bella-"

"I'm done!" I screeched. "Fine! You can leave! Both of you can leave! I don't need you! I don't need anyone! You can get a divorce or whatever and Mom can get remarried, and you can live the rest of your life with Billy Black and fishing every day! I'm done! I don't even care anymore!" I hung up on my father and wiped tears from my eyes.

I didn't want to go back home. No doubt Charlie and Renee would argue some more before storming out of the house after leaving a huge mess.

Out of habit, I pressed speed dial two, calling the number I'd called most often in my life. I wasn't thinking. Right now, thinking wasn't important. I needed the comfort.

"Are you okay?" Edward answered almost immediately. I could tell that he was watching me from his rearview mirror.

I sniffed. "Can I sleep over at your house?"

Edward was silent for a moment, obviously wondering what had happened. I knew that he would be dying to ask, but since our relationship was at an awkward state right now, he let it go.

"Of course," he said. "Do you want someone to join you on the ride home? Alice? Rosalie?"

"No, no," I said quickly. "I want to be alone. Thank you…Edward." I whispered his name before hanging up.

I leaned my head on the headrest and closed my eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling with a slight sob. I swallowed the lump in my throat before changing the gear.

Edward waited until I had passed him before following me. I was sure that the others were very confused, but they would know soon.

I concentrated hard on the road, determined not to cry anymore. Stupid parents…stupid life…

My phone rang again, and I glanced at it briefly before throwing it on the passenger's seat. It was Renee, but I knew what she would say.

My concentration broke. I began crying again. I couldn't stop it this time, and the tears kept streaming down my cheeks. I began to drive faster than usual. I was desperate to see Carlisle and Esme, two people who were actual second parents to me. I wanted to hear their comforting voices and feel their warm arms around me.

Edward seemed to be worried at my abnormal driving speed. And it was raining too. There were no other cars on the road to the Cullens, so I stepped on it. I wove in and out of the two lanes like I was drunk. And the Volvo followed close behind me, alternating between the two lanes when I did too.

Thinking about Edward didn't help either. If I thought about him, everything Ave had said earlier came into my mind. So we were destined to be with each other. If that was true, it wasn't fair that I had to go through this hardship in my love life.

I parked sloppily in front of the Cullens and didn't wait for the others. I ran through the rain, flung open the front door, and rushed inside. Edward must have called Carlisle and Esme, because they were waiting for me.

"Oh, Bella," Esme cried. She held out her arms, and I rushed into them, feeling the warmth and comfort…

I was sobbing uncontrollably now. I sank down to the floor, bringing her with me. "E-Esme…w-what d-d-do I do n-now?" I wailed.

The others rushed inside too, and stopped dead when they saw me on the ground, sobbing into Esme's shoulder like an insane person. They looked speechless while Carlisle looked grim.

"It's okay," Esme whispered, patting my back as she swayed us side to side. "It's going to be fine. It'll be okay. Everything's going to be okay. Shh…"

After about an hour of crying, Esme led me to my usual guestroom and left me alone to myself. It was a bad idea, though I knew that the others thought some time alone would be good for me.

I didn't want to be alone. Being alone was my worst enemy, and the bedroom was too quiet. It reminded me of when nobody was with me at my house, when the silence of the place had scared me to near suffocation.

The Cullen mansion was soundproofed. Hardly anything could be heard…and of course no one knew that I was crying again, silently, on my bed.

Even after eleven o'clock, I couldn't fall asleep, and I couldn't stop crying. By this time, I was sure everyone had gone to bed, including Jasper and Rosalie, who had stayed over again.

But I wasn't surprised when there was a soft knock on my bedroom door. The door opened, and Edward slipped inside, taking care to shut the door and lock it.

I stared at him with my bloodshot eyes, still crying and hiccuping slightly. He hesitated, then moved toward me.

"I thought you might still be crying," he said quietly.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now," I whispered.

He stared at me, looking just as miserable as I felt. Then, he joined me on the queen-size bed, and pulled me into his arms.

I let him hug me tightly. It felt nice to be in his arms again. It was warm and comforting. It felt familiar, like home should be.

"Don't worry," he said softly as he patted my back steadily. "Everything's going to be fine. Just sleep." He adjusted us so that we were lying down on the bed.

He began to hum. His voice was musical and sweet, and drowsiness came right away. But I had to make one thing clear before I fell asleep in his arms. I loved him, but I was still stubborn.

"Edward?" I mumbled sleepily.

"Yes, Bella?"

"This doesn't change anything," I sighed before drifting off a sleep full of nightmares.

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**AN: Aw…cute moment there. Reviews? **


	26. Chapter 26: Cramps

**Author's Note: Hi, everyone! You were probably wondering what happened to me, huh? I'm still alive, and I'm back to update! I was just very distracted (and busy) because second semester finals are coming up, plus the last day of school! Anyone excited for summer? Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 26**

**Edward's Point of View**

I smiled sadly as I stroked her hair. Her words stung, but I pretended otherwise. It was precisely why I had come here in the first place, because I'd known that it wouldn't change anything. At least I could be here with her.

Bella seemed content enough in my arms. She didn't have any trouble drifting off to sleep. There was another thing that wouldn't change: my love for her, and her sisterly love for me.

"If only you could love me the way I love you," I said quietly, touching her cheek lightly with my finger. "Then everything would be perfect." I sighed.

_This doesn't change anything._

I knew that Bella wouldn't be very pleased if she found me here in the morning. Although she was used to the idea of us sleeping on the same bed, it probably wasn't a very good idea, considering the circumstances.

I pulled the sheets over her body, then began to untangle myself from her.

"Edward."

I froze, thinking she was awake. One look at her, and I knew that wasn't the case. I'd forgotten that she talked in her sleep. It had been a long time since I'd slept with her…

Slowly, I relaxed and paused in my task. Her sleep talking was always interesting.

"Edward…" Bella sighed, twitching closer to me. "Don't…don't go to her…"

I listened without moving, watching her angelic face frown in pain. So she dreamed about me. And I was hurting her, even in her dreams. What a jerk I was.

"Don't go," she insisted. I was surprised to see a tear leak from the corner of her eye. "Don't leave me alone… I need you."

I blinked rapidly in confusion. When Bella sleep talked, the subject of her dialogues were usually things that were troubling her in reality. The things she worried about, such as her parents fighting, school…and apparently, me.

"I love you," I whispered softly, even though I knew that she couldn't hear me. "I can never truly leave you."

"Stay," she pleaded. "Please."

I brushed the stray pieces of hair around her face. "I'm here."

She startled me when she grabbed my wrist. "You don't love her."

Dumbfounded, I could only look down at her. Did she try to strangle people in her sleep now too?

"I see you," Bella murmured. "I only see you." She paused, then whispered, "I love you."

I froze automatically at the words. I must have heard wrong. I must have…

"I love you," she insisted. Her voice choked. "You're not the only one," she whispered. She sighed deeply, let go of me, then rolled over. She didn't speak again.

As for me, I couldn't move or speak. It couldn't be true. Not in the way that I hoped. She'd said that she loved me numerous times before. It didn't mean anything…

Still, I couldn't help but hope. Maybe she'd come to realize her feelings through our fight. And hopefully, still intending on making her mine wasn't a totally hopeless loss after all.

**Bella's Point of View**

When I woke up in the morning, I felt pain. There was slight pain developing on my lower abdomen.

Groaning slightly, I rolled over and found the bed empty. Edward must have gone back into his room in the middle of the night.

Despite knowing it was wrong, I couldn't help but wish he'd stayed. I'd had so many nightmares about him leaving me in the middle of the night…

I glanced at the clock. It was six-thirty, exactly the time when I usually woke up to dress for school. I had forgotten to set the alarm, but I'd become so used to waking up at the same time that it had become a habit.

As I made myself presentable in the bathroom, I couldn't help but wonder what my house would look like right now. Messy, no doubt. Broken glasses and vases…furniture shredded…crooked picture frames…

There was a knock on my door. "Yes?"

"Breakfast is ready, Bella," Esme called through the door softly. "Come down when you're ready, dear."

"Okay," I called back.

I dressed quickly in some jeans and a T-shirt I'd found in the closet, then pulled a dark hoodie over my head. The baggy sweatshirt did absolutely nothing for my figure, but it didn't matter right now. The pain in my stomach was becoming almost unbearable.

Still trying to ignore it, I trudged downstairs and joined the Cullens and the Hale twins. They all looked up when I walked in.

"Hi, Bella," Jasper said, waving with his fork.

"Hi, Bella," Emmett repeated, his mouth full of sausages and eggs.

"Hi, honey," Esme said, pouring me a cup of orange juice when I sat down. "Did you sleep okay?"

I paused slightly and glanced at Edward, who was carefully keeping his eyes down on his plate, before answering. "Sure."

"Good," Carlisle said. "I thought perhaps that you wouldn't get to sleep. You know, from the stress."

"I probably wouldn't have," I agreed. "But an angel visited me in the middle of the night and helped me to sleep."

"Angel?" Alice repeated, her eyes narrowing. "I didn't go anywhere near your bedroom."

"You're no angel, Alice," Emmett told her. "You're more like a devil."

Alice shot him a cross look. "And you're no teddy bear either."

"Hey," Rosalie said, nudging her. "Whatever you say, he's still my teddy bear."

Emmett winked at his girlfriend, making me want to throw up. I probably could have done it without much trouble, considering how I bad I felt right now.

Edward smiled briefly before hiding his smile behind his glass of orange juice. He caught my eye before he looked away.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows while Esme glanced at Edward. "I see."

"Why aren't you eating, honey?" Esme asked when she noticed me drinking only my juice. "Do you want something else."

"No, no," I said quickly. "These are fine. It's just…I'm not very hungry." I winced when another stab of pain poked me in the abdomen.

"Are you ill?" Carlisle asked, immediately concerned.

"I feel kind of sick," I murmured, tipping my glass slightly as I played around with it.

Edward's eyes flashed up to me, and I saw the worry in his eyes. Alice was more verbal.

"Oh, no!" she cried. "You shouldn't go to school! Stay home!"

I shook my head. "I shouldn't miss school."

"But if you feel sick…" Carlisle trailed off.

"I'm fine," I insisted. "It's not that bad."

But this was a lie, because my pain was getting steadily worse. But I tried not to show it as we all filed into our cars to go to school.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Rosalie asked when we arrived. "You look kind of pale."

"She's always pale," Jasper said. He took one look at me and said, "You're right. She does look paler than usual."

"Go home," Alice ordered, grabbing my arm. "No, go back to our house. Esme will take care of you. Go."

I shook her off. "I'm fine!"

"Edward!" Tanya bounded up to us and slipped her arm into his. "Hi, guys. Hi, Bella. I'm glad _you're_ here today."

Edward seemed to remember something, and his eyes narrowed when he glanced at her. Tanya ignored him.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, no reason," Tanya said, smiling. "I'm just saying."

"You should go, Tanya," Edward said pointedly. "The bell is going to ring soon, and your first period is on the other side of campus."

"I probably should, huh?" Tanya said cheerfully, smiling slyly. "Well, I'll see you all later. Oh, and I should probably tell you… The whole school is excited because the drug dog is coming to our school today!"

"Drug dog?" Alice repeated. "You mean, from the police station? Why?"

"Oh, just a checkup around school, you know," Tanya said. She looked so mischievous that I couldn't help but frown slightly. "I can't wait! The dog will be going around school, entering classrooms… And you know how cute those things are. Well, see you later!" She flounced away.

"That's strange," Emmett muttered. "Why would she mention something like that?"

The bell rang just then. My friends still looked worried about me, though they didn't say anything else about leaving. They waved as I walked slowly toward my homeroom first period.

"Bella?" the teacher called, taking attendance.

"Here," I said, and I knew I was clear for the rest of the day. None of the other teachers took attendance because homeroom always did.

This was lucky because by the end of first period, I could hardly walk. The pain in my abdomen caused cold sweat to form around my face, and my eyesight was slightly blurry. I had a horrible headache as well.

Giving up, I headed toward the parking lot instead of going to second period. I must have been too sick to drive, but somehow, I made it back to my house.

The entire house was empty again. Empty except for broken vases and furniture scattered all around and frames uneven on the wall.

I was in no shape to clean up right now. I changed into comfortable clothes slowly, then collapsed on my bed. I thought I passed out when a huge jolt of pain hit my stomach.

When I regained consciousness, I was aware of the heat coursing through my body. My shirt was sticking to my body due to the sweat. I had a terrible headache. My heart was beating fast, as it worked doubly hard to repair my body. I felt horrible.

I wondered what could have woken me up when I felt like I could sleep for years. Then, there was a sound in the usually silent house, and I wondered if there was a burglar.

My bedroom door flung open, and suddenly, Edward was right next to me, looking extremely worried. "Bella!"

I tried to swat him away when he touched my forehead. "You're not supposed to be here."

"Neither are you," Edward shot back. "Come on. I'll take you to the hospital."

"No," I insisted weakly, then groaned when another wave of pain hit me. "I'll be fine."

"I don't think so, Bella," he said. "You're someone who never ditches school. I knew something was up when you didn't show up during Biology."

"What time is it?" I whispered, panting slightly.

"Three-thirty," he answered. "School's over."

I muffled a scream when the abrupt pain shocked me. I finally knew what this was. Stupid…

"Where are you going?" Edward asked, bewildered. "You can't get up right now."

I staggered unstably toward the bathroom. "Just leave, Edward. I'll be fine."

"Not likely, Bella."

I closed the door in his face and sat down on the toilet. Sure enough, blood was leaking.

Blinded by the pain, I made a loud ruckus as I dug around the cabinets desperately for a pad. I found one, but it was all I had. I'd forgotten to buy them at the grocery a few days ago.

Still, I was in no shape to go anywhere. So I flushed the toilet and washed my hands before opening the door. I stumbled into Edward's arms, who caught me easily.

"Bella, I don't think…" He trailed off, watching me stumble toward the medicine cabinet. "What are you looking for?"

I found the bottle and opened it. But nothing came out when I shook it. I cried out angrily as I dug deeper into the cabinet.

"Bella!" Edward grabbed my hands. "What's wrong with you?"

I ripped myself away. "None of your business. Leave, Edward. I'll be fine. Go."

He watched me stagger back into my bedroom and close the door. I collapsed back on my bed and lost consciousness almost immediately.

**Edward's Point of View**

I was alarmed by her behavior. Bella was never this aggressive, even when she was sick. What made her so desperate?

I knelt down and picked up the empty bottle, which had dropped to the floor. My confusion cleared immediately when I saw the label: _Menstrual Painkillers_.

Alarmed, I glanced toward her closed bedroom door, then slipped into the bathroom. It was messy here as well. I was pretty sure the loud commotion she'd made earlier in the bathroom was because she had been looking for something specific.

I looked through the contents but didn't find anything. This explained everything.

I didn't even think to be embarrassed. This was bad. Bella had very bad cramps when she was on her monthly cycle…

I knew I couldn't help her with this. As much as I hated to, I consented to leave the house. I glanced at the messy living room before rushing out the door.

As I pulled out of her driveway, I called Alice.

"Hello?"

"Alice," I said urgently. "I need you to be dressed and ready to leave in ten minutes. Do you understand me?"

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. I'll tell you later."

"Okay," she said, though bewildered, and hung up.

I stopped by the grocery store and looked for the correct aisle. After a moment of hesitation, I collected a bunch of pads of different sizes. I had no idea what to buy, but it was the best I could do. I picked up another bottle of her painkillers, then walked quickly toward the cashier.

She raised her eyebrow as she scanned the items. "Are you going to be wearing these?"

I flushed. "No, they're for my…friend."

She smiled understandingly. "I see. She must have some bad cramps." She held up the bottle of pills before dropping them into the plastic bags. "Here you go. I hope she feels better."

I smiled briefly before rushing back to my car.

When I stopped abruptly in front of my house to let my sister inside the car, Alice had a lot to say.

"Where the hell are you taking me, Edward Cullen?" she demanded when I accelerated back to Bella's house.

"Bella," I said tersely. "She's sick."

Alice was concerned immediately. "What?" Her expression was disapproving. "Why didn't _you_ stay to take care of her? Some friend you are."

"I would have stayed," I said. "But I can't."

"Why not?"

I reached into the backseat and retrieved the plastic bags. I dropped them in her lap.

Frowning, she looked through them, and her confusion cleared. "_Oh_."

"Just take care of her," I said, pulling into the driveway. "I think it isn't just because of the monthly thing…but the stress that's built so far is affecting her as well."

Alice nodded. "Okay. Don't worry, Edward. I'll take care of her." She slipped out of the car and ran inside the house hurriedly.

I sighed in relief as I leaned my head on the headrest. Although I couldn't be with her, at least Bella would be taken care of.

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**AN: Aw, how sweet of him. I really need someone like that by my side. But no, I don't have any boys in my life. Sigh. The sad truth. Reviews?**


	27. Chapter 27: Framed

**Author's Note: Well, well, well. Look who it is. Judy1998 is back! Hurrah! Miss me? I got so many PMs, asking me where the hell I was and when I was going to update. I never knew fans could be so scary. But I'm back, so I'm forgiven, right? School just ended, and I was trying to enjoy my five days of break I get before summer school. I'm going to be taking two full-year courses over summer, so I probably won't have much time to update. But bear with me, okay? Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 27**

**Bella's Point of View**

When my eyes fluttered open, I noticed immediately that I was positioned differently. I remembered collapsing randomly on the bed, but now, I was straightened, and the sheets were over me. There was a cool cloth over my head.

My first thought was: Was Charlie or Renee back? I couldn't help but hope…

The pain in my stomach had reduced a little, and I was able to sit up without much trouble. The cloth dropped to my lap as I looked around my dark room blankly.

It was dark outside. One glance at the clock told me that it was nine o'clock in the evening.

Feeling lousy, I trudged to the bathroom slowly and stepped into the shower. When I came back out, I remembered that I had no pads in the house.

"Stupid idiot," I mumbled. I was about to leave the bathroom when I saw the cabinet doors under the sink slightly open. There was something that was stopping it from closing properly.

Curious, I opened it and found a bunch of pads with different sizes stacked neatly inside. I frowned. Who had bought these?

Still, I took one and put it on before heading toward the medicine cabinet. I wonder…

Sure enough, my usual bottle of menstrual painkillers had been replaced as well. I took two pills and downed it with water from the sink.

I felt much better now that I'd taken a shower. But I was a bit hungry…

The living room had been cleaned spotlessly. The entire house was lighted brightly, and there were sounds coming from the kitchen. I walked into the room and blinked to see a familiar, petite figure stirring something in a pot.

"Alice?"

Alice whirled around. "Bella! How are you feeling?"

"Better," I said, still surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Psh," she scoffed. "How can I not be here when my best friend is sick?"

Slowly, I sat down on the dining table and watched as she continued to stir, then add salt into the pot. "Since when do you cook?"

She grinned. "I don't. But what can I do? I can't exactly get you fast food when you're running a temperature of exactly one-oh-two. So I called Esme and asked her how to cook chicken soup. I'm not good at improvising when it comes to cooking, but I excel at following instructions."

She turned off the stove, then transferred the soup to a bowl. She placed it in front of me and handed me a spoon. "I'm pretty sure it's edible. Even I can't mess up Esme's recipe." She sat down next to me. "Eat up."

Tentatively, I ate a mouthful of the soup. It was really good. The warmth comforted me and warmed me up.

"I hope I'm not poisoning you," Alice prompted.

I smiled. "It's really good, Alice. Thank you."

Her face relaxed into a relieved smile. "Thank goodness. I think this is the first time I got something edible out of my cooking skills."

I laughed once. "Thanks for the pads and the pills, by the way."

"Oh, I didn't buy them," Alice said casually. She paused, then said, "Edward did."

I choked on my soup. When I could finally speak, I blurted out, "What?"

"You may recall that he stopped by earlier to see why you ditched school," she said. "He realized you were on your period and was having serious cramps, so he decided to leave like you told him to. He couldn't exactly stay and help you through that, can he? Instead, he called me up, ordered me to get ready in ten minutes, and practically dragged me here without telling me what was going on. He'd stopped by the grocery to get you those items, and told me to take care of you. End of story."

I was probably very red. "Oh, God… I'm sorry, Alice."

Alice shook her head. "Don't be. You have to start accepting help instead of keeping it inside. Even with your parents, you never let us try to talk to them or try to comfort you. Are you going to deny help even when you're deathly ill too?"

I stared into my bowl.

"At first, I thought Edward was a fool to listen to you," she continued. "You know, about you ordering him to leave when you were obviously sick. But then, I realized he was only respecting your privacy as a woman…and I know he's worried even now, wondering if you were worse than before. By dragging his sister to your house almost forcibly means something, Bella. It means he cares for you almost obsessively…and even when he's not able to care for you personally, he's making sure that there's someone else doing it for him."

I felt a lump in my throat as I recalled his worried expression earlier. I ate another mouthful to force the lump down.

Alice sighed. "I was so worried. I don't think it was just the cramps; you were stressed out over Charlie and Renee, and then about Edward…"

"I'm sorry, Alice," I murmured. "Thanks for being here for me."

She scoffed dramatically. "Well, at least you know."

I smiled slightly. "Do I have a lot of work to make up?"

Alice looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure. Your teachers were very surprised when you weren't there." Her face hardened. "Oh, speaking of school, I need to tell you something."

"Mm?"

"You know that drug dog that was supposed to patrol school today?" she asked. "Well, he did, and he found a couple bags of crack in someone's locker."

I looked up, startled. "Whose locker?"

Alice fixed her stare onto me. "Yours."

I blinked, stunned.

There was a long pause as she studied me carefully.

"A-Alice…" I stuttered. "I…"

"I know what you're going to say," Alice said, interrupting me. "That you weren't taking drugs. But what can I do? The dog found cocaine in your locker…and none other than Charlie Swan witnessed this."

I couldn't breathe. "But…Alice! I swear-"

"Shh," Alice said soothingly. "I know. I know you aren't taking them. I know you're stressed out over your parents fighting and Edward, but I know you're not desperate enough to start taking drugs. I _know_. But never mind that. What matters is this: Who would plant those in _your_ locker?"

I shook my head slowly in denial. "I don't…"

Alice sighed. "It was huge today. Charlie demanded to know whose locker it was, and then, when he found out it was yours, he went so pale. I thought he was going to faint. The entire school is in confusion because…well, you can't blame them. Isabella Swan, the most logical, reasonable, intelligent person in the entire school…no one hates her…and then, you 'go and do drugs'." She made quotations with her fingers.

"What…" I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. "What happened? How did… I don't know how…"

"You weren't at school today. I mean, you left right after homeroom, before the drug dog even got there. So, of course, it looked doubly suspicious, like: Why was she trying to hide? Honestly, your disappearance was bad timing, but I guess I can't really blame you for it. You can't control when to have your cramps and when to stop.

"I can't speak for the rest of the school," Alice said. "But I think some of your teachers still trust you, and some are a bit skeptical. As for the students…well, it isn't pretty. They've turned on you almost immediately.

"But Edward and Emmett and Jasper and Rosalie and me, of course, we believe you. We know you would never take drugs. You disapprove of drinking or smoking, so why would you do those things yourself? We're on your side, except…we don't know how to prove everyone wrong."

I had tears in my eyes. "What about…Charlie?"

"He…" Alice looked troubled. "Ah… He… We were trying to convince him that it wasn't possible…but I don't think he believed us."

My breath came out in a devastated sob.

"Don't get me wrong, Bella," she said quickly. "He didn't look angry or anything. I think it's more like he feels like it's his fault rather than it being yours. He probably feels like if he and Renee hadn't fought so much, you wouldn't have cracked up and gone ahead to take drugs…"

"So my own father won't trust me?"

"Well, I…pretty much, yeah," Alice said, biting her lip. "The news is all over town. It's…it's pretty bad."

"Who is it?"

Alice hesitated. "I…I don't know. I was under the impression that everyone loved you and respected you, so I don't know who would go ahead and plant crack in your locker to frame you. But I have my hunches."

"Tell me," I said in a low, demanding voice. "Who would ruin my reputation? Who would hate me so much that they would try to frame me?"

Alice studied me. "Who else would it be? Someone who has been jealous of your relationship with Edward, enough to go ahead and try to separate you two. Someone who has claimed him as 'hers'."

I stared at her in disbelief. "You don't mean…"

"Yes, Bella," Alice said in a hard voice. "I think it's time you saw that Tanya Denali is not all you think she is."

"Tanya?" I repeated incredulously. "You're still not on about-"

"Yes, I am!" Alice yelled suddenly. "You _have_ to see it! Just forget the so-called 'friendship' that you guys _seem_ to have, alright? Just _see_, for once. You can't deny that everything about her is suspicious! I mean, she wanted Edward. And you were in the way. She could see that he loved you, and knew that you were going to be trouble for her. So what did she do? She separated you two by forcing you to fight with him!"

"Alice-"

"And then, she decides that it won't be enough, since everyone is on your side. She was the one who framed you with the crack in your locker, Bella. Face it. She planned this from the very beginning. She befriended you to throw you off so you can never suspect her, and she completed what she meant to do by turning everyone from you."

The horrible thing was, as soon as Alice spelled everything out, it all made sense. There always had been something about Tanya that hadn't been right. Her secretive past that she didn't like to talk about…the story Charlie had told me about her in Seattle with the drugs… It all fit.

I shook my head, trying to find some sort of objection. The Tanya I knew wouldn't do that…

"Admit it," Alice snapped. "She's toyed with you. And now that she's got everyone on her side, she'll kick you out of the school, and away from Edward. And Edward won't be able to do a thing."

I couldn't deny it any longer. Everything just came rushing out, and I burst into tears. I just sat there, crying in despair, mourning over everything that I'd lost because of my stupid trust toward someone who hadn't even been a friend.

Alice's expression softened. "The truth is harsh, but I had to make you see it. Do you see it now?"

I couldn't even nod. I was unable to control my crying. Maybe it was my currently crazy hormones assisting my tear ducts, because I couldn't stop.

Tanya Denali… She had cost me so much. My reputation, my trust in myself, my trust in others, and, of course, him. Edward. She'd caused me to lose my Edward.

I realized my mistake, but it was too late. I was already ten steps behind she was. She was going to end up with Edward and leave me broken and helpless, unable to function.

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**AN: And Tanya strikes again! Don't you just wanna slap her silly? Leave me lots of reviews, please!**


	28. Chapter 28: Insanity

**Author's Note: IMPORTANT! CONCERNING UPDATES! Hi, guys. I know it's been a while since my update. And I know a lot of you have been PMing me. It's true that it's summer and that school has ended, so a lot of you think that I have time to update and there's no problem there. But there is a problem. There's a huge problem, and it's called summer school. **

**I am currently taking two full-year courses, ten hours a day, plus hours of crazy homework, for five full days a week. I have no idea why I decided to take Chemistry and Biotechnology at the same time, but there you are. There is no way I can update as quickly as you guys expect me to. **

**So while I'm flattered that you guys love my stories so much that some of you would go crazy insane and post hundreds of reviews per hour, telling me to update (you know how you are, guest), I just can't. So please try to understand that I have a life outside of fanfiction and I have my own summer plans. Thank you. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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**Chapter 28**

I felt nervous the next day. People were glaring at me disapprovingly, and I knew that they didn't believe that I was innocent. It was so frustrating that I couldn't simply plant the truth inside their minds.

To make matters worse, the police cruisers showed up at the school as soon as the dismissal bell rang. And so did my father.

"Where's Isabella Swan?" the police sergeant demanded to the silent parking lot.

Everyone had frozen. No one had expected this. The teachers all rushed out from buildings and the office, wondering what was going on. They stopped in their tracks, stunned.

I didn't even breathe. I stood where I was, too shocked to move. How could Charlie do this to me? It was bad enough that he didn't believe me. Now he wanted to arrest me too?

"Isabella Swan!" Charlie called, his tone professional. "Come out quietly!"

I felt the angry tears kicking in. I was fully intent on marching up to him and yell and scream at him. But as soon as I took one step, he was there, his hand closing around my wrist.

"Don't move," Edward warned quietly. "Unless you want to get arrested by your own father, don't move."

"I have to tell him the truth," I said. "Why won't he believe me?"

His grip only tightened. "Don't."

"Charlie!" My head snapped at the familiar voice.

Alice was rushing toward my father, with Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper right behind her. "You can't do this! She's your daughter!"

Charlie's expression hardened. "Before I am her father, I'm the police chief of this town. I can't have any loose ends by letting someone who has drugs in her possession run free."

"Charlie, it isn't true," Rosalie said quickly. "Bella would never-"

"I admire your loyalty, kids," Charlie interrupted. "But drugs were found in her locker. I don't what other evidence can make her actions clear."

I spotted Tanya lurking in the background, with a satisfied smirk on her face. I wanted to confront her.

_Why are you doing this to me?_ I wanted to scream. _Why?_

"That's because someone _planted_ them in her locker!" Alice yelled. "Do you really think Bella was taking crack? She even hates the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. Really, Charlie?"

"She could've liked the smell of crack," Austin Marks mumbled, a little too loudly. It was a mistake.

With an abrupt movement, Jasper lunged toward him and aimed a punch in his face. Suddenly, it was pandemonium. There was chaos everywhere, as girls screamed and police officers rushed to the boys that were rolling around on the ground, fighting.

"How dare you insult Bella?" Jasper growled as the officers tried to separate them. "How dare you?"

"They're all insane!" Mike Newton yelled. "They're in league with Bella! I just know it!"

Emmett lunged at Mike, and there was more confusion. Alice and Rosalie were yelling for their boys to 'teach the traitors a lesson'.

"You bastards!" Emmett roared. "You bitches! How dare you turn on her? How dare you?"

I couldn't stand it anymore. How could I let my family do this for me? They would get hurt. They would get arrested. It was better for just one person to end all this. I would take the blame. There was no other choice.

With a sudden movement, I ripped myself away from Edward and darted through the students.

"Bella!" Edward called, alarmed as he followed me.

"STOP!" I screamed. "STOP IT RIGHT NOW!'

Everyone froze, and there was sudden silence. Emmett and Jasper were still on the ground, wrestling with Mike and Austin with police officers trying to break up the fight. Alice and Rosalie's eyes widened in fear for me. Edward was right behind me, his expression hard and cold.

Charlie looked at me, his face full of remorse.

"Stop fighting," I said in a low, furious voice. The tears flowed down my cheek silently. "_Now_."

I turned to my father. "I can't believe this. Even my own father…betrays me."

Charlie swallowed. "Bella-"

"How could you?" I screamed. "How could you not believe in me? Do you really think I would take drugs?"

"It's my fault, Bella," Charlie said miserably. "If your mother and I hadn't argued so much, maybe-"

"I told you!" I said furiously. "Whether you or Renee fight, it's not my business anymore! I've given up trying to reason with you!"

"It's natural that you would crack up and end up taking drugs, Bella," he said. "I don't blame you one bit-"

"Stop!" I shrieked. I was sobbing. "Stop, Dad… Don't do this to me. It wasn't me. I wasn't taking drugs. I don't know who planted them in my locker… It wasn't me!"

"I know exactly who did it!" Alice blurted out. She turned and glared pointedly at Tanya. "You! You bitch!"

Tanya had the nerve to looked shocked. "Me? I've done nothing wrong!" She looked smugly at me. "It's Bella who made the wrong choices."

Rosalie yelled in defiance as she lunged at Tanya. Tanya shrieked like a banshee as Rose grabbed her hair and pulled. Hard.

"You!" my friend screamed. "You slut! You bitch! You-" She called Tanya words so bad that the teachers all gasped and the students backed away.

"Ladies!" the police officers protested as they ran to separate them.

But Rosalie was strong. She resisted the pull of three men and continued to pull a screaming Tanya's hair.

Alice joined in, and Emmett and Jasper resumed their fight. Suddenly, the parking lot became loud again as people accused each other of siding with the police officers or me.

I looked around in horror. What have I done?

I sank to the ground slowly, stricken. Was this what that psychic had told me? Was this what I had to endure through to get my happiness?

If this was the obstacle I had to face, I didn't want to face it anymore. I'd rather just die. End everything… I didn't need happiness. I needed death.

Edward sank down next to me. "Bella…"

I began laughing. First, softly, then the laughter got louder. I sounded like a person who'd gone insane.

Edward looked scared. "Bella, what-"

With a sudden, determined glint in my eyes, I pushed him away roughly and ran toward Charlie.

My father's eyes widened when I knocked him down and snatched the gun from his belt. "No, Bella!"

Alice and Rosalie screamed in terror. "BELLA!" Everyone else screamed for me to stop.

But it was Edward who did something. He was suddenly in front of me, his face desperate and fearful. He seized my wrist before I had the chance to aim properly at myself.

"No!" I shrieked. "Leave me alone, Edward! Leave me alone!"

"No, Bella!" he insisted, still struggling to confiscate the weapon from me. "You can't!"

I squeezed the trigger, not caring where I hit myself. The gun fired, and everyone screamed. I fell to the ground, my face contorted in pain. Blood covered my stomach.

"Bella!" Edward yelled. "Bella!"

Charlie was there too, shouting my name. "Medic! Get an ambulance right away!"

My eyesight got blurry, and the world faded to black.

**Edward's Point of View**

As the ambulance drove away, I looked down at my hands. They were covered in blood. _Her_ blood.

The fact angered me. Tanya Denali…

I turned to face Tanya, my face menacing. She didn't look remorseful at all, though she did look surprised that Bella had tried to commit suicide. I stalked toward her, glaring.

She backed away at the weight of my glare. "E-Edward…"

"You bitch!" Alice screamed as she lunged at Tanya again.

This time, Emmett held her back, shushing her and trying to console her in soothing tones.

Alice was crying. She was sobbing, fearful for her friend's life. "Let me at her! She deserves to rot in jail! She deserves it! You killed her!"

"She's not dead!" Rosalie snapped at her. "Don't say that! She _will_ live."

Alice sank to the floor. "Poor Bella… Bella…"

"Did you have to go so far?" I asked Tanya. My voice was soft yet dangerous. "Were you that desperate?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tanya answered coolly. "It certainly isn't my fault that Bella tried to kill herself. She must have gone insane."

"I'll prove this was your doing," I said. "I'm not going to stand back and watch while Bella goes to jail for what _you_ did."

Her eyes flashed. "You can't prove anything. Besides, it's your fault. If you hadn't been so obsessed with a crazy girl, I wouldn't have had to do this. I did this for you."

"I'll prove you wrong," I promised. "You'll regret you ever messed with Bella and my relationship."

Tanya stared at me. "You can't. There's no proof that I did it."

"You did the same thing, didn't you?" Jasper accused, glaring. "Back in Seattle. That's why you got expelled. That's why you moved here."

Tanya smirked. "What did I do?" She turned and walked away.

"What do we do?" Alice moaned as our brother held her upright, patting her back consolingly. "Bella's going to go to jail for something she didn't do. Bella…"

"Oh, shut it," Rosalie snapped. "Didn't you hear him just now? He'll prove Bella's innocence. If anyone can do it, Edward can. _I_ trust him." She turned to me. "I don't know how you're going to do it. But let us help."

My lips parted as I stared at Tanya's car that was driving away. I was barely listening. Her car…

"Edward!" Rosalie slapped my arm. "Pay attention!"

"The car…" I murmured. "Of course. Her house… She's always alone…with no supervision."

"What?"

I blinked, then turned to my siblings and friends. "Bella just bought me some time. She's not arrested yet, which gives me time to prove her innocence."

"You're insane too," Alice moaned. "She probably put a bullet through your brain earlier."

I ignored her. "Bella's name will be cleared. I'll make sure of it."

"How?" Jasper asked. "Tanya just said that there was no evidence. She probably got rid of everything."

I began walking quickly toward my car. "There's always evidence on her."

* * *

**AN: So again, I have summer school at the moment, and it's five weeks long. I have two weeks down, and I still have three more to go. But don't get excited, because I'm going on a vacation for two weeks right afterward. So don't expect too much updates like I usually post, but I'll try to update whenever possible. Thanks a lot, and leave me lots of love and reviews!**


	29. Chapter 29: Absence

**Author's Note: Hi, guys. I know I've said not to expect any updates this week, as well as the next two weeks. But I decided that I should update before I leave for vacation for two weeks, even though I still have another week left of summer school, so I was finishing up the chapters of the stories that I hadn't finish like crazy yesterday. **

**So since I'm updating this week, don't expect _any_ updates at all the next two weeks. Actually, all of the month of July. Don't hope that I'm exaggerating and that I'll update. Seriously, I'm going on vacation. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and I know it's late, but Happy 4th of July!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 29**

I watched Tanya's car that was parked in front of her house. Everything about that car gave me an aura of danger. That car held the identity of Tanya Denali.

The clock on the dashboard told me that it was almost midnight. I watched as her upstairs' window's light flickered out. She was finally sleeping, no doubt pleased with her day's work.

Slowly, I got out of my car and strode toward her fancy car. The windows were darkly tinted so that I couldn't look inside, even by shining the flashlight in my phone.

I tried her door. Of course, it was locked.

I considered breaking into her house for her car keys, but quickly dismissed the idea. Too risky.

I looked at the car again, then reached into my pockets for a paperclip that I'd taken earlier today during math. I'd picked locks before, hanging out with Emmett and Jasper and fooling around, but I didn't know if this would work on cars.

A click answered my question. Withdrawing the paperclip, I pulled the handle and slipped into the driver's seat.

The entire car reeked of Tanya's rich perfume. Breathing through my mouth, I began searching.

It didn't take that long. I found a small bag of powder in an hidden compartment underneath the seat.

I raised my eyebrow. If this wasn't evidence, I didn't know what was.

**Bella's Point of View**

He was in my dreams. We were both young, middle school students again.

_ "Edward, I told you to study last night!" I was scolding him. "Did you fall asleep again?"_

_ He grinned, his face handsome and playful. His hands were in his pockets as he leaned against a pole casually. "It was too boring for me."_

_ I frowned and slapped his arm gently._

_ "Ow!" Edward protested. "Why are you hitting me? I've done nothing wrong!"  
_

_ "No," I told him. "It's my fault. I should have come over and made sure you were studying. Aren't you afraid you'll get bad grades on that final?"_

_ He rolled his eyes and threw an arm around me. "You're kidding, right? I don't need to study, Bella. I have two brains."_

_ "Two brains?"_

_ He nodded, smiling. "One in here." He tapped his head. "And one here." He leaned down to kiss my cheek. "Just being around you makes me smarter. Why would I study?"_

I panicked when the scene changed. I didn't want to leave them behind. Those young teenagers who knew nothing about life… I wanted to go back and live in that time.

_ "Idiot."_

_ I turned around and saw him again, though he was seventeen and himself now. He was wearing the matching hoodie that I had, and his hood was raised over his head, blocking out his messy bronze hair._

_ "Why would you try to shoot yourself?" he chided. "Did you think that this was never going to end?"_

_ I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"_

_ He gave me a small, yet radiant smile. "Remember what you told me? 'It may seem hard now, but it'll be over soon'. That's what you told me when I was having trouble with Algebra in seventh grade." _

_ He narrowed his eyes. "I should've said the same to you. Life's no different from math. It seems hard now, and you might feel like your loneliness and hardships will never be over. But you should've known, Bella. It would be over soon. And once you get past those obstacles, happiness would come to you."_

_ He shook his head, and smiled his crooked smile. "And you're never alone. You have Alice, Rosalie… And even though he may seem like more of an idiot than you are, Emmett. Jasper, too. Carlisle and Esme think of you as a daughter._

_ "And me. I would always be there for you, Bella. You're never alone."_

_ He reached out to brush my cheek with his finger…then faded away._

* * *

"No!" I jerked awake, trying to keep his image in mind, but it kept fading away. I couldn't remember his face. And that scared me. Was I finally dead?

"Easy, girlie," a familiar voice said lightly. "You'll mess up your pretty face by frowning like that. Why don't you stop trying to sit up?"

Startled, I turned my face slowly to prevent the pain. My blurry eyesight cleared, and I saw Emmett smiling down at me reassuringly.

"Emmett," I breathed.

"'Sup, Bells?" Emmett said cheerfully, in his usual playful tone. "How you feelin'?"

I winced and grimaced slightly. "Like crap."

He laughed quietly. "Yeah, I bet. But hey. You look way better."

I had to smile at that. "Really? How bad am I?"

"You nearly busted out your major organs, but other than that, it's all good."

I groaned. "How many days has it been?"

"Two weeks," Rosalie answered, entering the room. She was holding a pitcher of water. She gave me a reproachful look. "You _had_ to try to kill yourself."

"Good to see you too," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I'm glad you're awake," Rosalie said, setting down the pitcher by the bedside table. "Thank goodness."

"I'm not that fragile," I said, put-out.

"Yeah, you are," she shot back.

I looked at them. "How come there are no police officers guarding me? Aren't I getting arrested?"

"Not anymore," Emmett said. "Thanks to Edward, your name was cleared."

I blinked, feeling lost. "What did I miss?"

"Oh, not much." Rosalie snorted. "Just a huge dramatic scene in the parking lot after the day you were shot. The bitch was screaming and crying as they arrested her, blaming you for everything that went wrong since she came to Forks. Of course, she should've been screaming at Edward, who proved your innocence, but hey, at least she's out of the way."

I couldn't speak for a moment. Did I just hear that right? "Edward…proved my innocence?"

Emmett smiled. "He snuck into Tanya's car and found the cocaine hidden there. He brought it to your father, and they arrested Tanya the day after. Of course, Edward had to pay a fine for trespassing on private property, but Carlisle and Esme was so proud of him for proving your innocence that they paid for him. Everything's all good."

"All you have to do is get better quickly," Rosalie informed me acidly. "That means no unnecessary moving, no complaining, and no more silly stunts like trying to shoot yourself. Do you understand, Isabella Swan? I swear, if you scare us like that ever again…" She let the threat hang and finished the sentence with her sharp eyes.

I smiled slightly. "Thanks, guys. And…I'm sorry."

Emmett nodded. "You should be. But I think there's someone else that you should apologize to rather than us." He smiled, patted my hand before rising and leaving the room with Rosalie.

I gazed up at the ceiling of the hospital room, feeling idiotic. Why had I gone for the gun? The dream that I'd had woke me up. It had been a pinch on my arm, telling me to get a grip. Why had I thought that it would never end?

I had Emmett and Rosalie. I had Alice and Jasper. My parents were caught up in their own bitter worlds and barely had time to remember to call to ask how I was doing, but it didn't matter because I had Carlisle and Esme.

And I had Edward. Why had I been so blind? I shouldn't have been so quick to trust someone so quickly, claiming that she was my friend. I'd been so dense…with friendship and love.

I should've gone for love instead of friendship. I had lots of friends already. I had made erratic choices. I had made a mistake that had almost killed me. And I had already killed my relationship with Edward. I had to try to revive it before it was too late. Would he forgive me? Would he still love me?

There was a light knock on the door, and Charlie peeked inside. "Hi, Bells. I heard you were finally awake, Sleeping Beauty."

I felt the lingering resentment build inside me but choked it down. "Hi, Dad. Come on in."

He stepped inside, closed the door quietly, and sat down next to me. He looked lost in his own thoughts as we drowned in silence for a moment. Finally, he looked up, and I saw that he hadn't gotten much sleep over the past two weeks. I felt guilty.

"First thing's first," Charlie said. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I should've known…but I was so miserable. I know that's a poor excuse for what I've been doing to you, but I guess I never stopped and considered how you would feel. The thing is, you've been great. Dealing with our fights for a long time…never even thinking to resort to drugs or alcohol, and staying devoted to school…" He tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace instead. "I'm proud of you, Bella."

The lump in my throat appeared, and tears formed in my eyes. I tried to hide it by turning my face away.

"Just…just don't do something like that again," Charlie pleaded. "You scared me so much. Imagine if your daughter did something like that: momentarily going crazy because of something you did. I hated myself so much for doing this to you. I'm the reason you're lying here right now, covered in gauze and not being able to move."

I sniffled. "Don't be silly, Dad. What are you talking about? I was the one who went insane."

"Because of me," Charlie repeated. He shook his head, sighing again, before rising and leaving the room silently, his shoulders hunched.

I spent the entire night crying myself to sleep. Nobody else came to visit me, probably knowing that I needed time alone.

* * *

Another week passed, and the only person that mattered to me didn't come to visit. That hurt me. Did this mean that he had finally given up on me? Was he so mad that he couldn't even come to see if I was okay?

I was able to move by this time, though it was not without effort and pain. Still, I could get up to stretch my legs or use the bathroom alone. That was nice.

Another person who didn't come to visit. My own mother.

But Renee was very irresponsible and forgetful. And I was sure that the guilt she must be feeling right now was stopping her from visiting me. But I missed her. I haven't seen her in a while.

I gazed out the window from my wheelchair. It was raining again. The dripping rain made me feel dreary, and everything seemed down. It matched the way I was feeling. The pain, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

My friends came to visit me every day. Carlisle stopped by a couple times a day to see how I was doing, and Esme insisted on staying overnight each day to care for me unless I persuaded her otherwise. Charlie visited each night too, before he went home.

And yet, I felt lonely. The only person who could bring me out of this loneliness was refusing to see me, much less talk to me. His phone kept ringing, and yet, he didn't answer. Why didn't he just turn off the phone, or, even better, chuck it across the ocean?

I felt so frustrated. Not just because of Edward, but also because of this stupid hospital ward. Not being able to roam around alone, walking without pain…I missed it. I missed the green trees and plants, the smell of the rain that I'd so detested… I missed it all.

Perhaps I was maturing. Going momentarily insane was probably a catalyst to my maturity. Looking back on everything that had happened to me so far, I felt amazed at how much I'd learned. About life, love, and friendship. I felt as though a so-called friend could never dupe me again, or never let go of the boy I love because of a simple mistake.

I touched my side gently with my hand. It felt almost as good as new, and yet, they weren't letting me out yet. I would never admit it, but the pain still bothered me. I wasn't ready to go out on my own yet, but I couldn't stand this. There was a huge stack of piled-up schoolwork waiting for me, friends I would have to face when I get to school.

There was a knock on my door. I didn't look back. No doubt it was Carlisle or Esme again.

"Hi, honey."

At her voice, my head snapped up, and I whirled myself around with the wheelchair to face Renee.

I stared at her for a long while before I greeted her. "Mom."

Tears filled her eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry, baby."

I stared some more. "You…didn't come. Earlier."

Renee's gaze lowered. "I'm sorry. I just…I couldn't face you. Not after everything that I've done to you. I'm such a bad mother. I should've made you my first priority instead of chasing after some stupid love…"

"No, Mom," I said quietly. "I'm glad you have someone you love there for you. Even if I do hate the fact that it isn't my father."

She sniffed as she sank down on the chair beside my bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. They're saying I could get out of here this weekend if I behave." I smiled slightly as I wheeled closer to the bed, then stood to get on the bed. I pulled the covers over my cold legs before looking up again.

"That's good," Renee said, wiping her eyes. She sighed. "I…I don't know where to begin."

"Do you have something to tell me?"

She nodded slowly. "I know I shouldn't be doing this, considering the reason why you're here, all covered up in bandages. But…I'm hoping you'll forgive your irresponsible parents for this."

My heart sank as I stared at her. Tears blinded me again.

"Charlie and I decided just last night," Renee said quietly. "We're getting a divorce. I'm sorry, Bella."

I didn't know what to say. I was so overcome with disbelief and resentment that I had to look away as the tears fell.

"I'm so sorry," Renee whispered. "After everything…we're still hurting you."

After a moment of silence, I laughed slightly and wiped away my tears. "No. Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe…I'll finally get to sleep properly, without any shouting and arguing in the background as my lullaby."

Renee laughed a teary laugh as well, then reached up to smooth my hair back. "I'm so sorry for all the pain that we've caused you, Bella. You're such a wonderful daughter, and you deserve so much more. But you've done such a good job of growing up all by yourself. I'm proud of you. I'm proud to be your mother."

I cleared my throat. "So…um. How's…Phil?"

She perked up. "Bella…"

"I…uh…hope he's not angry with me for…being so rude to him the last time."

"No, no, of course not!" Renee said quickly, her eyes shining. And it wasn't because of the tears. Her tears were gone now. Any talk about her lover, and she was all perky and happy.

Maybe this divorce really was a good thing. Charlie was never the one for her. Phil made her happy. She belonged with him, and I was sure that she would never regret cheating on my father for this younger guy that she'd fallen for. She loved him.

If Phil made her happy, then that was fine with me. I'd been disapproving their relationship for so long because I was worrying about what would happen to Charlie. But I thought that I could finally give them my blessing. Letting go of all my worries would be nice. I wouldn't feel pressured and burdened anymore. No more stress.

"You're not…mad?" Renee asked, peeking at me hesitantly.

I gave a huge sigh. "No. I'm not mad. Just…just sad, I think."

She nodded, looking sheepish. "Sorry," she said again.

I smiled wryly. "Don't be sorry anymore, Mom. I don't want to hear those words ever again. If you're sorry to me, then promise me that you'll finally be happy with Phil." I shot her a mockingly severe look. "If you don't, you cost me my parents' relationship for nothing."

She laughed. "Don't worry." She tousled my hair lightly, then got up to leave. "I have to go. Phil's waiting for news about you. He's been worrying too, you know."

I nodded. "Tell him thank you. And that I said I'm sorry."

Renee smiled. "I will." She turned to leave, then turned back around almost immediately. "How are things with Edward?"

I looked away to hide my face. "Will you come visit me more often now?"

There was a beat of silence as Renee interpreted my change of subject.

_Let it go_, I thought desperately. _Please let the subject go._

"If you promise not to hate me," Renee finally said. She stood there for a moment longer before leaving the ward.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I listened to sound of her footsteps fading away. Fresh tears clouded my eyes.

I bit my lip and fell backward onto the bed again, then turned so that I was facing the window, away from the door in case someone came to check on me again.

I needed him. Badly.

* * *

**AN: What did you think? Why do you think Edward isn't coming in to visit her? Leave me lots of reviews and love!**


	30. Chapter 30: Worries

**Author's Note: HI, GUYS! How's life? Yeah, yeah, I know you all want to shout at me, and some of you may even be shouting at your computer screen, demanding to know where I've been. Well, like I told you before, I was on vacation for two weeks, and I just came back home on Saturday. So why didn't I update right away? I'm so jet lagged, you wouldn't believe it. Right now, I just woke up an hour ago (way past noon here) because I couldn't sleep until three in the morning, and I'm still tired. You're lucky I'm updating only on the second day after my vacation. Ugh. Enjoy…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 30**

It was good to be attending classes again, like everything was back to normal. That was the upside.

The downside was that all the attention was on me. And unfortunately, I'd never been the type of person to enjoy that kind of attention. I felt self-conscious the entire day and tried to escape as quickly as I could.

People kept coming up to me and apologizing for ever believing that I would take drugs. While I was glad that I'd gotten my hard-earned reputation back, I was getting a little tired of telling people that it was okay and that I was perfectly fine.

It was lunch hour, and all the students flooded out into the hallways, whooping in delight. The hallways cleared quickly as they all filed into the cafeteria, and I was left to walk slowly to my locker.

I was mostly recovered, but I still had stinging pains on the side of my stomach. I couldn't walk fast, and I limped slightly to try to minimize the pain as much as possible. I winced every few seconds.

As I twirled my locker, my thoughts wandered to the person that had been on my mind all day today. And yet, I hadn't seen him once. Why was he avoiding me? Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper had all greeted me this morning in the parking lot at our usual place, but only he wasn't there. His Volvo was there. But he wasn't.

I wanted to talk to him. Speak to him about everything we've been through so far. Apologize for refusing his feelings, even though I knew that I loved him back. Tell him sorry for choosing friendship over his precious love.

I wished everything was the way it had been. Back to the time when we were young and naïve, clueless about life. Back to the time when everything was so much easier to deal with when it came to our friendship. Why did we have to grow up? Why did we have to fall in love with each other?

"He loved you way before high school, you know," said a reproachful voice behind me.

Surprised, I looked up to see Alice, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. She leaned against the lockers, tutting. I realized that I'd mumbled the last part out loud.

"Forget it," I grumbled, stuffing a notebook inside my bag.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Face it, Bella. Edward's loved you since you were toddlers." She sniffed. "You were the blind one."

"Shoot me," I said sarcastically. "It's such a crime I'm so dense."

She shot me an annoyed look. "Don't _ever_ say that again. Whenever you say something that sounds suicidal, I'm scared that you'll go crazy and go for Charlie's gun again. He's hiding his guns from you, right?"

"Stop," I stressed. "Don't bring it up anymore."

She sighed and shook her head silently to herself. I ignored her until I closed my locker and turned to her rather abruptly. "Why is he avoiding me?"

Alice looked startled, and rather guilty. "W-what do you mean?"

"He's obviously avoiding me. I'm sure you know why."

She looked away. "Can you not ask me? I don't understand why he's doing this either." She turned and walked away toward the cafeteria, her arms still tightly crossed and her tiny, petite figure hunched with worry.

I stared after her, starting to get worried as well. What had Edward told his sister?

If I could only see him right now, I would tell him that I accept his love. I loved him. I wanted to be with him.

I jumped when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see a cute girl looking at me. "Bella Swan?"

"Yes?" I said hesitantly.

"Your counselor wants to see you in her office," she told me, then walked away.

I couldn't help but notice that everything was becoming worrisome. My love, my friendships, my personal family business, and just life in general… It was getting too tiresome.

As I headed for the office, my thoughts turned to him once more. If he ignored me in Biology next period, I wanted to know why.

* * *

I knocked softly on my counselor's office door. Her sweet voice called, "Come in!"

Mrs. Evans smiled when she saw me. "Bella. Have a seat." She gestured toward the empty seat in front of her.

Warily, I sank down in the chair slowly. "You wanted to see me?"

She clicked her pen a few times before leaning forward and interlocking her fingers. "You've been having a rough time lately, haven't you?"

I frowned slightly. What was this about?

"You might choose not to believe it, but we teachers have been quite concerned ever since that disturbing incident," Mrs. Evans said. "I'm sure you felt quite betrayed at how your classmates turned on you."

She was beating around the bush. I didn't like it.

"What's your point?" I asked, abruptly unpleasant.

She looked surprised. "I am merely trying to help you, Bella. You've been quite-"

"Help me?" I repeated flatly.

She cleared her throat before calling, "Come in."

I turned and stared at a handsome man who was standing in the doorway of the office. He was in his early thirties, with brown hair and electric blue eyes. He was quite tall, and was wearing a neat suit.

"This is Dr. Gerandy, Bella," Mrs. Evans introduced. "He's a psychologist. He's one of the best in Seattle."

At that, a rush of anger burst through me. I stood up quickly. "I'm not insane!"

"I'm quite aware of that, Bella," Mrs. Evans said in her annoyingly calm let's-be-reasonable voice. "The school merely thought that a checkup was in order after that dreadful incident-"

"I refuse!" I stated boldly. "I'm not insane. I don't have a mental disorder! Why should I resort to therapy?"

"You'll find therapy quite helpful, Miss Swan," Dr. Gerandy said from behind me. "You can tell me all your secrets and worries…and I won't be allowed to tell anyone about it."

"You see, Bella?" Mrs. Evans said. "It'll be very beneficial to you. You can clear your thoughts by telling them to someone else who would never disclose your secrets to anyone. And you can choose the right way for your future." She smiled, looking very satisfied with her reasonable explanation.

"The right way…?" I repeated slowly. Did the teachers think that I wouldn't be able to live morally or something? Just because I tried to kill myself?

But if I continued to think about it, I understood their perspective. I could see how they would come to that conclusion. And I also knew that they wouldn't stop pestering me about therapy until I agreed to do it.

So in the end, I gave in.

Thirty minutes later, I walked out of the office with Dr. Gerandy beside me.

"I'll see you on Saturday, ten o'clock, Bella," he said, smiling. "You should get to class now."

Class…Biology.

With a late pass in my hand, I made my way to class. Would he avoid me in class too?

"Bella!" Mr. Banner said delightedly. "Good to have you back!"

As if. He'd been one of those who had been staring at me accusingly.

Wordlessly, I handed him my pass before heading to my seat. As I walked along the aisle, I watched Edward, who was staring straight ahead at the front of the room, purposely avoiding my eyes.

**Edward's Point of View**

As she walked in, I knew that it had been a bad decision, trying to delay the inevitable. Just seeing her weakened me with desire. How could I possibly let go of her?

My crush on her had lasted for years. A simple crush had developed into love. So how could I just give her up?

But I knew it was the right choice for her. She wasn't ready to accept my love yet, despite what she was probably thinking right now. She might believe she's ready, but I didn't believe it. She could never love me back purely until she let go of all her pressure and stress.

I felt her staring at me as she walked toward our desk. I felt the questions burning behind her eyes: Why was I avoiding her? Why hadn't I visited her in the hospital?

I knew that she would confront me later. I could no longer delay anything. I would have to tell her, straightforwardly… The truth.

* * *

**AN: Reviews?**


	31. Chapter 31: Rejection

**Author's Note: OMG! What is this? Another update, in less than a week? Shocked? Heh. It was nothing. Just lots of time on my hands until summer break ends, so I thought I'd treat you. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 31**

**Bella's Point of View**

After an awkward hour of Biology, the bell finally rang. But before I could do or say anything, Edward was out of his seat, swinging his bag over his shoulder and walking out the door.

For a second, I just sat there, stunned. He was really going to take this all the way, wasn't he?

I couldn't concentrate on my last period of class. I was still hurt and shocked over his ignorance toward me. I decided that if I didn't confront him soon, I would lose sleep over him tonight again.

So when the bell dismissed us from school, I hurried to collect my things and walked out rapidly to the parking lot. Just in time.

Edward was walking briskly to his car. I saw Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett at our usual parking spaces, looking anxious when they saw my determined expression and indifference on Edward's face.

"Edward Cullen!" I said, walking forward boldly.

He paused, then turned around to face me for the first time today. He was adopting a poker face, and there was no trace of his usual expression filled with love and concern when he looked at me.

"I want to know why you're avoiding me," I said, my face flickering back and forth between anger and hurt. I stopped about three feet away from him. "I wanted to talk to you. Why didn't you pick up my calls?"

Edward stared at me coldly. "I didn't want to."

I felt like he'd slapped me in the face. "What?"

He took a deep breath. "I didn't want to. That's all."

An incredulous sound escaped me. "You didn't _want_ to? Edward-"

"I know what you're going to say, Bella," Edward said, his expression softening. "But no matter how hard you'll try to convince me, I won't believe a word you say."

I got the feeling that he did know what I wanted to tell him. But he wasn't going to believe me? What? Did this mean that I was too late?

My eyesight grew blurry. I blinked a couple times and tried to choke the big lump in my throat down. My voice still came out shaky.

"Don't tell me I'm too late, Edward," I said quietly, trying to mute the tremor in my voice as best as I could. "I need you."

Edward smiled sadly. "Actually, no, you don't need me. I know what you're going through, Bella. I know you better than you know yourself. And I know for sure that you're not ready for me. You've been too preoccupied with your parents and being betrayed by your friends. You need time on your own to think things through. I understand."

I was taken aback. Wait. This was for me? But it didn't make sense. I _knew_ I was ready to love him back. Fully. Unconditionally.

I began to protest, but Edward shook his head. "No, stop, Bella. No matter what you say, no matter what you think, you're not ready." He paused. Then, he said it again, more slowly to dig it deeper into my brain. "You're not ready for me."

And then, the tears spilled.

I didn't care about what he said at the moment. What hurt me the most was the fact that he was the one rejecting me this time. Did it hurt just as much when I was hurting him?

"You don't love me anymore," I whispered. Deep down and in the back of my brain, I knew that it wasn't true. But I was having a hard time accepting this rejection that those were the only words that I could think of at the moment. They were stupid words, and they sounded idiotic too. But it was already out.

Edward's gaze lowered. He looked just as pained as I was right now. And yet, those words came out of his mouth. "I'm tired of loving you."

What did that even mean? Nothing made sense right now. My brain wasn't working. It wasn't functioning properly at this most significant moment.

"Don't," I said softly. "Edward, don't do this."

Edward looked back into my eyes. "I'm sorry, Bella." They sounded sincere. He really didn't love me anymore.

We stared at each other for a long moment, unaware of the huge audience surrounding us, who were staring and gaping, shocked at what they were hearing.

I studied his handsome face for a long time, gasping softly for air. And then, I laughed quietly as a tear slid down my cheek. Finally, I looked down at the ground, embarrassed and torn. I'd just gotten rejected in front of the entire school.

Avoiding anyone's eyes, and especially his, I began walking. I pushed past the crowd roughly and hurried to my car.

"Bella," Alice said pleadingly, reaching out a hand as I got close. "Edward is-"

I turned away from her sympathetic hand and yanked open the car door. Ignoring all stares and sympathetic tears, I drove out of there as quickly as I could, wondering if there was a place to hide myself, someplace where I could hide my misery and pain.

**Edward's Point of View**

I watched as Bella's Audi drove out of sight. I hated myself for saying those words to hurt her on purpose. But I knew this was the best choice for her. I had done the right thing.

I'd let the woman I love go. But if we were meant to be, I knew that she would come back to me when she was ready. I trusted her. All I had to do was wait patiently, and suffer quietly until she returned to her place.

I ignored everyone, who was staring at me accusingly and curiously, wondering why I'd done what I just did. I obviously still loved her. Why had I done it?

"Edward Cullen!" Alice said angrily when I joined the group. "Why did you say that to her? Why did you lie?"

I sighed wearily, quietly. "I didn't lie."

"Oh, yeah?" Alice challenged. "What about that thing you said? 'I'm tired of loving you'? What was that, then?"

"That's not a lie," I said simply as I got into my car. "It's a fact."

Emmett stopped me from closing the door. "What do you mean? You really don't love her anymore?"

I stared at him incredulously. "Do you think I could ever give her up?"

Emmett frowned. "Do you want to explain what you just did to Bella, Edward? Because I'm such a dolt, I want you to tell me." His eyes narrowed.

I shook his hand off. "I'm tired of loving her. I'm exhausted. There's been too much crying and betrayals. I'm tired of loving her, but that doesn't mean I don't love her. I merely gave her some space so that she'll be able to come back to me later."

"And she will," Rosalie realized, understanding what I've done. She stared at me, looking shocked. "You knew that she wouldn't be able to love you until her parents' divorce is settled. Until she's all healed."

"Will you let me go now?" I asked Emmett, who raised his eyebrow.

"Impressive, Cullen," Jasper said, smiling slightly. "But one question. Did you think about how you're going to survive until she comes back?"

My gaze lowered, all my energy drained out of me at once. "I did."

"And?"

I sighed and leaned my head against the doorway as I closed my eyes. "I don't know."

**Bella's Point of View**

I was all out of tears. I'd been crying my heart out as soon as I'd parked in front of my house. Sobbing, hyperventilating, and yelling in frustration and resentment.

But after about an hour of this, I grew tired of crying, and gradually, my tears had slowed to a stop. Now, I didn't even remember how to cry. I was exhausted.

And with nothing left to do, my brain had decided to think.

Replaying the scene in my mind, I began to realize what Edward had done. He had been pushing me away so that I could collect my thoughts and return to the old Bella that I'd used to be before I'd been scarred with my parents' divorce. While I continued to stress over the separation of Renee and Charlie, I wouldn't be able to give him all my love.

"Stupid idiot," I murmured quietly as I stared out into the windshield. "You're going to be in pain… Even more than me."

I guess Edward really did love me a lot to do this for me, maybe even more than I loved him. How could I ever have rejected him? I must have been insane.

Anyhow, it was too late to change things now. He wouldn't accept my love even if it killed him until I returned with a healed heart.

But the question was, how was I going to heal when my thoughts would turn to him every time? I would miss him every day.

My phone vibrated, and that's when I was brought back down to the reality that I had to face. I realized that the sky was getting slightly darker, and that I had homework to finish. It was beginning to rain as well.

"Hello?" I croaked before quickly clearing my throat.

"Have you been crying, baby?" Renee asked, concerned. "What's wrong? Does it hurt? Should I fly back to Forks?"

"No, no, I'm fine," I said quickly. And then, I stopped. "Wait. Fly back? What do you mean?"

"Oh, I'm in Florida, honey."

"Florida? What's in Florida?"

Renee laughed brightly. "Oh, you're so funny. Phil lives in Florida. Did I never tell you that?"

I shrugged before remembering that she couldn't see me. "So…what? Are you already divorced or something? I thought it was going to take three months until it was finalized."

"It is. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

I sighed. "Mom, I'm so tired. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Um, you want to talk about custody tomorrow?" Renee asked skeptically. "'Cause you know, this is important."

That caught my attention. "Custody? What do you mean?"

"We decided that you're going to be in my care until you become eighteen, Bella. You'll be living with Phil and me down here in Florida."

There was silence. I fought to remember how to speak.

"Bella? You there, baby?"

"A-and…y-you decided…without asking me?" I stammered out, shocked. "You didn't care what I thought? What if I want to stay in Forks, Mom?"

Renee sighed. "I know, Bella. But quite frankly…I think time away from your friends, and especially Edward…would be good for you."

"No!" I retorted. "I'm not going to live with you guys! I'm going to live with Charlie!"

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. It's only a year until you're eighteen. You'll live. Then you'll be off to college."

"My friends?"

"You'll make more here."

"Florida?" I repeated incredulously. "NO."

"You'll get used to the weather. I told you. Time away from Forks will be better for you, I promise. It'll help you heal better."

"Mom, please," I pleaded, tears resurfacing. "I'm not leaving Charlie."

"I want you to get to know Phil, Bella. He'll be your stepfather soon, so it'll be good for both of you."

"Mom!"

"There will be no more discussion," Renee said sternly. "I understand I've been a bad mother for a long time now, but this, I want to do it right. I _know_ I'm doing the right thing. And Charlie is sure about this too. I've already booked a plane for you next month, and you'll be starting school as soon as you get here. It'll be good for you to start in a new semester."

"I'm not leaving Forks until I finish the year," I said stubbornly. "It'll mess up my grades."

"You're smart, you'll catch up. And January in Forks is too dangerous, remember? Snow and rain and everything. It's always hot in Florida. You love hot weather."

"But-"

"No more, Isabella Swan," Renee said. "If you don't come down here on the day you're supposed to, then I'm coming to get you myself, do you understand? Sweet dreams, baby." And she hung up.

I let out a frustrated sound, a mixture of a groan and a moan. How could everyone do this to me?

* * *

**AN: So she's leaving. Hee. Reviews?**


	32. Chapter 32: Therapy

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! I know, I'm shocked too. Three updates in a week? Wow! Plus that one-shot I posted up yesterday. Did you guys enjoy it?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 32**

"So you're telling me that you don't want to move," Dr. Gerandy mused as he made a small note in his notebook.

I had to try hard not to roll my eyes. "That's what I just told you."

"And why not?" He made another note.

"That's what…!" I stopped abruptly, ticked off. This man was the best psychologist in Seattle? Seriously? "That's what I've been telling you for the past half hour, Dr. Gerandy," I said in a forced calm voice.

He had asked me a total of four questions in the past hour and had made a ton of notes when I'd only repeated myself four times. His questions were repetitions of his original inquiry, just worded differently. What was there to write about?

I had half a mind to run out of the room. He had driven over two hours from Seattle to my house to ask me to repeat myself? What were those teachers thinking?

Dr. Gerandy chuckled. "Oh, yes, I'm perfectly aware of that, Bella. My patients usually do get annoyed when I ask them the same question over and over again. But I do that on purpose."

My eyes narrowed. "What, you want me to hear me tell the story, then actually think about the meaning of it as I say it?"

He looked impressed. "Very good, Bella."

"Well, I've already thought long and hard about it," I said. "There's nothing more to it."

He nodded. "I see. And may I ask what your conclusions were?"

"About what?"

"Why don't you tell me about Edward?"

I frowned. "Which one do you want me to tell you? My conclusions or Edward?" This therapy thing was going to be the death of me. I didn't _need_ one.

"Both. Start with Edward, please."

I took a deep breath, trying hard to keep from getting annoyed. I won't let him get to me. I won't.

Dr. Gerandy just smiled, waiting patiently. Oh, this man knew exactly what he was doing. He was here just to annoy me.

"I'm sure my teachers and my father already told you about him. You have notes about him on your notebook right now."

"No, I don't," Dr. Gerandy said innocently. "You're saying that I did a background check on you?"

I glared at him. "Isn't that what psychologists _do_? And, yes, you do have notes on him."

"No, I don't. What are you talking about?"

I sighed wearily. "I see his name and information on the back of your notebook."

He looked down, and realized that he had flipped the notebook back so that he could write better. He looked amused.

"Very good, Bella," he said, nodding. "You're very smart, I see."

I scoffed and crossed my arms. "Smart? That's common sense. I can read, you know."

He laughed. "Alright, alright. So I did a background check on you. That is what I do, yes. Are you going to hold that against me?"

"Just clarify what part of Edward you want me to explain," I said, bored.

"Very well. Your teachers told me that you two were very close. They're under the impression that you've known each other since you were very young. Just how long back does your relationship go?"

"A long time."

"Quantity?"

"I don't want to use my math brain right now."

"And did you ever suspect that he started liking you before he confessed?"

I paused, surprised by the unexpected question. "No."

"No clues at all?"

I sighed. "I'm sure he gave me clues. I was just too dense to see it. I mean, Alice and Emmett and Rosalie and Jasper found out a long, long time ago, and it wasn't because Edward told them. I guess he was being really obvious."

"Did you ever like him when you were young?"

I thought about it. "I don't think so."

Dr. Gerandy had been scribbling away quickly as he tried to keep up with me. He must be good at taking notes because he stopped and looked up right away. Was he done writing down everything I said already?

"Why did you reject him when he confessed to you?" he asked.

I took my time answering. "Because…I didn't know."

"You didn't know what?"

"I didn't know that I'd fallen for him too," I said. "And…the girl I thought was my friend liked him. And Edward was alone. So I thought I would pair them up."

"Bad idea?" Dr. Gerandy said, smiling kindly.

"I guess so."

"Tell me your conclusions now."

"When I was talking to him and he told me that he was tired of loving me, I thought that meant that he didn't love me anymore," I said, recalling the scene. "I couldn't think straight at the time, so I was a bit… I guess I jumped to weird conclusions.

"But then, thinking it through after I cried, it made sense." I shrugged. "I realized that he knew better than I did that I was still broken and scarred. I needed time alone to handle my situation before I could love him back without any worries."

"And can you accept that?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

I nodded slowly. "I haven't seen him since, have I? I've been avoiding him. I think I'm adjusting well to that."

"And why have you accepted that?"

"Because I know he's right. After he spelled it out for me, I understood." I sighed wearily. "He knows me better than I know myself."

"Do you have plans to move on from him?"

I shook my head.

Dr. Gerandy studied me for a moment, then changed subjects. "What are you going to do about the custody thing?"

I stifled a snicker. "Custody thing?"

"Bella?"

"Sorry. Um, I don't have a choice."

"Have you tried persuading your parents?"

I snorted. "Where do you think I get my stubborn attitude from? They won't budge. I think I'm just going to have to accept it."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"It makes me feel crappy," I said, annoyed. Couldn't he just deduct that from common sense? Did he _have_ to ask?

"Do you think you can survive high school without your friends?"

"I'll live."

"You don't have to pretend you're strong, Bella," Dr. Gerandy said gently. "Because you're not. Not at the moment. You're quite broken, and a lot of people can see that."

I stared at him, startled. Was I really that much of an open book?

"You'll miss them, I'm sure," Dr. Gerandy continued. "But I think time away from the place that everything bad happened to you is good too. Your mother was very wise."

I exhaled sharply. "Does my session _have_ to be two hours?"

He cocked his head. "Yes."

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out.

"Let's talk about your plans for the future," he suggested. "What do you want to be?"

"A doctor," I said flatly.

"What kind?"

"I don't know yet."

"What college do you want to go to?"

I hesitated before answering this time. "An Ivy League."

He smiled. "You have big dreams, Bella. That's good. The more you dream, the better you can achieve. Keep dreaming what you want to do. That's another way you can break out of this shell that's keeping you miserable."

I nodded once, stiffly.

"Where does Edward want to go?"

I blew out another sigh. "He doesn't know."

"What does he want to be?"

"He doesn't know that either."

"What pains you the most, Bella?" Dr. Gerandy asked. He asked his questions out of subject order, and the jumping around made me feel slightly bemused. "Your breakup with Edward or your parents' divorce?"

I began to retort that I was never dating Edward in the first place, but then realized that our friendship must be what he meant. I swallowed my words and answered, "Both."

"If you had to choose?"

At that, I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Edward."

"What part of it upsets you so much?"

I stared at him hard. "I'm angry with myself. I keep wondering why I turned him down the first time." I paused, then looked down at my fingers. "Even if I had accepted, do you think he still would've broken up with me?" I asked softly.

"I don't know," Dr. Gerandy said casually. "Do _you_ think so?"

I didn't answer. Because I'd realized the answer as soon as I'd voiced the question.

Yes. Yes, he would have.

* * *

Charlie greeted me wearily when I got home. "Where have you been all day?"

"I had that appointment with Dr. Gerandy, remember?" I said, sighing deeply as I plopped down on the couch. "You're home early."

"It was a slow day," he said, joining me. "How was your meeting?"

"Annoying. I don't like him."

He laughed halfheartedly. "You're just annoyed that you're going through therapy at all."

"I wanna quit."

"You can't, not for three more weeks. I think it was a good idea."

I rolled my eyes. "I told you. I'm not going to be suicidal again."

Charlie turned on the TV but put it on mute. He stared at the moving figures blankly. "I'll really miss you when you're gone, Bells."

"You can always tell Renee that you change your mind about letting her have me," I suggested innocently.

He looked at me. "Nuh-uh."

"Why?" I asked. "Why are you sending me away?"

"Because I know it'll be good for you. Just don't think, Bella. Just for, like, I don't know, a year. Until you've graduated from Florida."

I sighed again. It was hard, knowing that I would leave it all behind. And it would be hard to say goodbye too. To my friends and family. To Edward, not that I would talk to him before I left.

"So…how's Edward doing?"

"I don't know," I said. "I haven't talked to him."

"But you see him."

"What's your point?" I asked him.

"You don't seem like you're grieving for him," Charlie mused. "You look…normal. And that sort of rattles me."

I smiled slightly. "I miss him. But…I think he needs space too. I can give him that. And besides, I see him every day. That's enough for now."

* * *

**AN: So…leave me lots of love!**


	33. Chapter 33: Leaving

**Author's Note: Honestly, this chapter is so short, it's ridiculous. Yes, even I think that. But still, enjoy the updates.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 33**

**Edward's Point of View**

I watched from afar as my siblings and friends said their goodbyes to Bella. She was finally leaving Forks to go to Florida. We might not even see each other again.

And yet, why wasn't I saying goodbye? I wanted to tell her I loved her for the last time…before she left.

"Don't go, Bella!" Alice wailed, crying like a toddler. She pranced around like she needed to go to the bathroom while holding Bella's hands. "Don't go!"

Bella was laughing, though it was halfhearted. "Seriously, Alice. I need to go. My flight's in five hours. I need to leave now."

Alice wailed harder at that, and Rosalie began insisting on accompanying her to the airport again. They had been at this for about an hour now, and quite frankly, while it was amusing, it was also getting exhausting.

"Wait here," Emmett said again, for the millionth time. "I'll go get Edward."

At his words, I flattened myself on the staircase wall, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping.

Bella stopped him. "I told you. He's not going to come."

"I can make him. If you can just let me go-"

"Stay where you are, Emmett," she said. "We've already said our goodbyes to each other, remember?"

Jasper sounded glum. "When are you coming back?"

Bella sighed. "I don't know."

"Will you call?" Alice pleaded.

"Good luck, you guys," Bella said, purposely avoiding the question. "Have fun with school. Take care, okay?"

"Bella!" Alice complained.

Just then, a horn honked from the front of our house, which meant that Charlie was getting tired of waiting in his car.

Bella smiled. "That's my cue. I really have to go now. Alice, _let go_."

"NO!"

"Emmett?" she asked, shooting him a pleading look.

As much as he hated to, Emmett sighed deeply and moved to rip our sister away from her. Alice didn't let him do it quietly. She was actually off the ground while he held her, kicking and screaming, trying to scratch him. But Emmett had experience with our sister, and carefully avoided her sharp nails.

Rosalie sniffled. "Be safe. Don't get into trouble. And good luck."

Bella turned and left through the front doors. She wasn't even crying, like Alice and Rose were, and she walked quickly to her car. She didn't even look back and wave again as Charlie drove them out of sight.

Slowly, I sank to down so that I was sitting on a step. I buried my head in my hands, trying to suppress the misery and pain I felt inside. I was on the verge of tears.

"Stupid idiot," Emmett mumbled. "He didn't even say goodbye."

"I'm going to kill him!" Alice shrieked. "Let me go!" A thud meant that Emmett had dropped her to the ground. She didn't seem to care. "I'm going to kill him for not stopping her and-"

She stopped dead in front of the staircase when she saw me in my still position. "What the-"

There were hurried footsteps, and the others joined her.

"Edward!" Emmett said, sounding confused. "Were you there the entire time?"

"Oh, you idiot!" Alice cried, rushing toward me and sitting next to me. She began punching and slapping my arm as hard as she could as she lectured me, "I can't believe you let her go like that! You're going to regret it!"

Finally, she began crying again. She sounded just as helpless as I felt, and she flung her tiny arms around me as she tried to comfort me as best as she could. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper just stood there, all out of energy and sighing.

It was over. She was gone.

I'd never thought about the fact that she could leave Forks. It had been stupid, thinking that she would always be next to me.

Now, she was gone, and I knew that she wouldn't return again.

Not to the place that hurt her the most.

* * *

**AN: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! So…as you know, two stories have been finished within a short while of each other. I'm left with four, and while most of you think that it's still too much for me to handle, like most of you have pointed out, I feel really…crazy. I feel like I have to do something or I feel really weird.**

**So I have a couple of story ideas that I've been working on when I had free time or had an inspiration. I'm talking about, like, six ideas here, all a bit different. But I have one or two that I really think is going to be good, and I want to try sharing it with you. I probably won't have much time anymore to update my stories, so posting up a new story is a really bad idea, but I just can't resist it. What do you think? You think I should do another story to replace my finished ones or what? Leave me reviews on what you think!**


	34. Chapter 34: College

**Author's Note: Hello, my lovely fans! I am going to be starting school next week on Monday! Yes, sadly, my summer vacation is coming to a close after five weeks of hard summer school work and spending two weeks out of the country. I just feel like it wasn't enough time. So unfair. Sniff, sniff. But you know what that means? It means I probably won't be able to update very often. I'll try, of course, but as of now, I simply don't think there will be enough time. Just so you know. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 34**

**Bella's Point of View**

I blew out a nervous sigh and stared at my squirmy reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a light blue dress that came up to my knees, with my hair pinned up nicely with matching sapphire clips. And, of course, with formal dresses, matching high heels were a must.

After one more deep breath, I took my graduation gown and put it on, then picked up my cap. I was ready. I could do this.

"Bella!" Renee sang loudly from downstairs. "You're going to be late!"

I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn't believe I was about to graduate from high school. The remainder of junior year and all of senior year in Florida had gone by so fast. At the blink of an eye, everything was about to leave me.

"Coming!" I called, my voice wavering slightly.

I took another deep breath before opening my bedroom door and descending the staircase as carefully as I could in my killer shoes. I smiled when Renee and Phil met me at the foot of the stairs, whistling low and gushing about how beautiful I looked.

"Oh, I can't believe it," Renee said, sniffling. "My Bella is all grown up! You'll be off to college soon!"

"Mom," I said, chuckling. "Don't get all weepy on me. I'm already nervous as it is."

"Aw, come on, Bella," Phil said easily, grinning. "What's there to be nervous about? You've got your speech all memorized, don't you?"

I glared at him halfheartedly. "Yeah, but what if I forget?"

"Oh, don't be silly," Renee said, smoothing my hair back gently. "You'll remember every word and make me cry."

I rolled my eyes. "Right."

"Speaking of college," Renee said, her voice clipped and icy as she narrowed her eyes at me, "you need to decide where you're going. _Now_."

I made a face. My parents had been pestering me to choose which college I was going to attend. I had gotten accepted in my dream colleges, meaning Dartmouth and Brown. Renee and I had freaked out and pranced around in happiness.

"Give the valedictorian a rest, will you, Renee?" Phil said, jumping to my rescue. "She needs to be calm right now." He winked at me when I shot him a grateful look.

Phil really was an okay guy. He was a total opposite to my mother, responsible and level-headed, the perfect person to rein her in. I was glad she had found someone right for her.

"Alright, alright…" Renee tossed the car keys at him. "Charlie's meeting us at the school, Bella. He's so excited."

I smiled at the thought of meeting my father for the first time in a year. Sure, we had talked on the phone, but it just wasn't the same. I'd missed him.

* * *

I could see Renee up on the bleachers, crying to her heart's content as I finished up my speech.

"…and now, I present to you," I said, smiling widely now that I'd finished, "the senior class of 2013."

"WHOO!" the entire senior class, all five hundred of them, got to their feet and threw their caps into the air.

Grinning, I imitated them, then jumped off the pedestal, caught my cap, and ran to join my friends.

"Bella!" they screamed. I saw that half of them had cried during my speech. "I'm so proud of you! That was a great speech!"

"Thanks," I said warmly. "Congrats, guys! We made it!"

They all giggled and cheered. "Alright!"

"Amy!"

"Val!"

"Brit!"

My friends all squealed and ran to join their boyfriends, who were waiting with open arms. I watched from afar as they all rejoiced, glad that the pressure was over. They were ready to head off to college to have fun and fulfill their dreams.

And I was still alone, unable to move on. He was still my life.

But that was okay. I knew that I would find him some day. And we would be together. I wasn't regretting a thing.

My face soured when my thoughts turned to college. Where _was _I going to go? Time was running out, and I hadn't decided yet. What should I do?

"Bella!"

I whirled around at the familiar voice, and I grinned widely as I jumped into the arms of my father. "Dad!"

"I'm proud of you, Bells," Charlie told me, looking proud. "Congratulations."

I laughed joyfully. "Thanks."

"Oh, Bella!" Renee screamed as she reached for me, sobbing. "I'm so proud of you. Thank you, honey. That was a beautiful speech."

Phil was there too, with a bouquet of pretty flowers. "Congrats, Bella."

"Thank you," I said, touched, as I accepted the flowers. "Thank you for coming, all of you."

* * *

"Bella, you need to make a decision, and you need to make it now!" Renee protested as she followed me around the house. "I'm telling you, go to Dartmouth! You've always wanted to go there!"

I threw my hands up in the air and turned around to face her. "Mom! The more you pressure me, the more I can't make up my mind!"

Renee looked frustrated. "Why are you hesitating? I thought you wanted to become a doctor."

I sighed and plopped down on a chair. "I'm so sure anymore."

She sat next to me. "What do you mean, baby? You took all those extra science and math courses to get ahead in high school. You were preparing for this. Now, you just want to give it up?"

I shrugged. "I just feel…tired. I don't have that same energy with me anymore. The motivation… It's gone. I don't feel confident that I can do it."

I missed Edward so much. These days, I hadn't been thinking about much except Edward. As my senior year had drawn to a close, I couldn't help thinking that I was finally going to college, something that we had talked about a lot during our early teenaged years. And I couldn't help but wonder what college he'd decided on, what he wanted to be.

I missed him so much that it was like I was missing a limb from my body. I still felt pain every day, his rejection ringing in my head like echoes, and I felt hollow without him. I needed the rest of my heart with me. My soul mate and true love.

Renee was studying me carefully. "I see. I see now."

Startled, I looked at her. I hadn't even realized that my thoughts had drifted. "What?"

She had a small smile playing around her lips as she looked at me knowingly. "You miss him. Edward."

I lowered my gaze when she mentioned him. "Is it that obvious?" I asked, embarrassed.

To my surprise, she laughed. "To be honest, no. I didn't even realize that you've been slowing down for a bit because you were thinking more and more about him. I just thought it was senioritis, but I can see that it was Edward now. How could I have missed it? Of course it's him."

She was sympathetic now. "You miss him a lot, huh?"

I nodded slowly.

"You still love him? That hasn't changed?"

I shook my head.

"Call him."

I looked at her. "I…" My voice contained shame. "I heard that he changed his number. I didn't ask for it."

She raised her eyebrow. "I was under the impression that you weren't talking to any of the Cullens."

"I wasn't," I said haughtily. I cleared my throat. "It was a Hale."

She started laughing. "Which one?"

Resigned, I answered, "Jasper."

"What about Rosalie? Have you been talking to her?"

I shook my head no. "I just couldn't trust her. I knew she would talk to Alice. And even though Jasper is Alice's boyfriend, I can trust him to never talk about me. He promised. And…I didn't call him for about six months, after I heard about Edward going out with another girl. It was too painful."

"Well," Renee said thoughtfully. "You went out with some guys a few times."

"It never lasted," I said bitterly. "I think fate has me intertwined with Edward. If his relationship didn't last either."

"I'm sorry, honey. Why don't you try calling Jasper again?"

I shook my head. My gaze fell on the stack of envelopes on the living room table. Almost like an instinct, I reached out and grabbed the pile. I began rifling through them, looking for the one college that I was suddenly interested in attending. It was like I'd known exactly where to go all along.

Renee peeked at the envelope that I was staring thoughtfully at. She looked horrified. "The University of Washington? Bella, are you crazy? You got accepted into two Ivy Leagues! Why would you turn that down? It was your dream!"

I was shaking my head slowly. "I just…I don't know. I have a feeling I should go to UW. There's just something that's making me want to attend."

"Then attend," Phil's unexpected voice said from behind me.

I looked at him. "You think so?"

Renee scoffed. "_Now_ you're starting to listen to your stepfather?" But there was affection in her eyes. "Bella, do whatever is best for you. And if you're really positive about this, then you should let them know. What if they don't have a spot left for you?" She winked and left the room with Phil.

* * *

I was back in Washington. I'd only been gone for a year, but it felt like a decade. It felt so good and relieving to see the familiar greenery rush past as I rode a taxi to the university's campus.

I thanked the driver and got out of the cab with my luggage. I gazed around my busy surroundings as I walked to my dorm room, watching the freshmen buzz around in excitement at the fact that they were finally attending college.

When I got to my room, I noticed that my dorm room was slightly open. Was my roommate not in?

I struggled inside with my bag, and regretted it almost instantly.

She was inside alright. But she wasn't alone, and she was kissing her boyfriend so fiercely that I had to look away and clear my throat. Luckily, they heard me and broke apart.

"What the-" I heard a familiar voice stop himself from cussing.

I looked up, shocked. "Jasper?" My eyes fell upon the small pixie I immediately recognized. "Alice?"

Alice squealed in delight as she jumped on me. "Bella! Oh, my God! I can't believe it! You're my roommate? You applied for UW? I can't believe it! Rose and Em are going to freak!"

"You're all here?" I asked, staring at them in wonder. "Like, _all_ of you?"

Jasper smiled and nodded, looking genuinely pleased to see me. He had his turn hugging me, and we sat down on the floor, just staring at each other in fascination.

"I can't believe you're back," Alice kept murmuring. "I've missed you so much. We've all missed you."

I smiled. I felt comforted and home at last. "I missed you guys."

Jasper chuckled. "We missed you too. When you cut off contact six months ago, I was worried."

"Shh!" I glanced at Alice nervously, but to my surprise, she was calm. "Wait, Alice, you knew about this?"

"He told us when he lost contact," Alice said calmly. "Of course, I was furious with him and didn't speak to him for two weeks."

"It was hell," Jasper said flatly.

I laughed. "Sorry."

Alice suddenly looked like she'd been shocked with electricity. "Oh, my God. _Rose_! How could I forget her?" She jumped up and ran to the phone and began dialing a number.

"Don't forget Emmett too," Jasper added, purposely evading to mention the name that mattered most to me right now. I was thankful for it, though. I wasn't ready to face him just yet.

"Rosie, guess what? You'll never believe me."

The phone was pretty loud, and we could hear what Rosalie was saying sarcastically on the other end, "_Try me_."

"Bella! She's here! At the university! She's back!"

Silence. And then, "_Did you have a drink already, Alice_?"

I stifled a laugh when Alice looked impatient. "No! I'm serious! Look, are you going to believe me or do you want to confirm it with your own brother?"

"_I think I'll confirm it with my twin, thank you, before I get my hopes up. Put Jasper on._"

Jasper took the phone and said, "It's true. She's right here. She's Alice's roommate."

Rosalie gasped, promised she'd grab Emmett and meet us right away.

"Shouldn't take that long," Jasper muttered under his breath.

Sure enough, it had barely been five minutes when Emmett and Rosalie burst in, out of breath.

Rosalie squealed with happiness as she threw herself at me gleefully while Emmett laughed. "Oh, Bella! I missed you so much! Welcome back!"

"Thanks," I said, grinning. "I missed you too."

Emmett was grinning as he kissed my cheek. "We've missed you, Bella. A lot."

"So what happened?" Rosalie asked, pulling me back down on the floor, looking eager. "How are you back?"

I told them about how I'd applied for the University of Washington and had been offered a huge scholarship. I'd turned down two Ivy Leagues and come here because I had a weird feeling.

"It turns out you were all here," I said, grinning. "Funny, right?"

"Hilarious," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. "But still, good to have you back."

Emmett kept glancing at the clock and muttering inaudible things. Finally, Alice snapped, "What's wrong with you, Em?"

Emmett sighed. "I, uh, called Edward before we came here."

My heart stopped, then began beating faster. He knew I was here?

"Wait, so he knows?" Alice asked, shocked.

Emmett nodded. "Yeah. He said he'd come over, but I'm not sure if he was really planning on it." He glanced at me, apologetic.

"He'll come," Jasper said confidently. "If he said he'll come, he'll come. Besides, Bella isn't the only one who's missed Edward." He winked at me, already having seen through everything, even though I hadn't said a word about Edward.

"I told him not to bring You-Know-Who," Emmett said, glancing at them meaningfully, "but I'm not sure about that either."

"Then, Bella, there's something you should know," Alice said quickly. "Don't be so shocked if he brings a girl with him."

My eyes widened. "What?"

She opened her mouth to quickly explain, but there was a knock on our door, and a cute-looking girl peeked inside. "Hi, guys!" she greeted us with huge enthusiasm. She skipped into the room. "How's it going?"

Alice and Rosalie cast dark, distrustful looks at her while Emmett and Jasper tried to smile but grimaced instead. I just stared at her. Who was she?

There was another knock, tentative this time, and my heart stopped.

Edward Cullen was at the doorway, looking more handsome than I thought possible in simple jeans and a UW hoodie.

* * *

**AN: Oh, snap! They meet again after a year! I hope you're glad that I didn't drag out their separation for too long. Really, it was just one chapter. Heh.**

**IMPORTANT! So…I took all your opinions about a new story under consideration. As usual, when I ask this question, I had two opinions: one, most people want me to do new stories to replace my finished ones, and two, few people want me to finish my stories before I start a new one. Usually, I don't listen to those few people, and I post a new story. **

**But quite frankly, I'm so…pressured. Handling five, six stories at a time was manageable, but I'd always felt that I **_**had**_** to write to satisfy my readers. I don't want that to happen again. When I feel that way, I can never come up with good inspirations. Luckily, you guys were awesome and always loved the way I dragged out my stories. **

**But this time, I'm willing to take choice number two. I'm going to wait until all my stories at least, which won't be long, I promise. If, at the end of the last story, I feel as though I can keep up with regular updates and schoolwork, I'll post a new story. Until then, I'll keep writing the new story in my spare time, along with my current ones. Are we good? Reviews!**


	35. Chapter 35: Replaced

**Author's Note: Hi, people! I'm so sorry I couldn't update for a while. I have two excuses this time: one, I started school. I'm taking four advanced classes, two of them which are Advanced Placement, or college courses. And that's just...well, I don't know what I was thinking when I signed up for it. Homework is overwhelming every single day. Second, I got a new laptop! Finally, a computer of my own. But the problem was, I hadn't bought Word yet, so I couldn't actually write my stories, and even worse, I couldn't even pull up the stories that I'd wrote so far! But anyway, I downloaded something similar to it for free, so that's good. I'm back to work; aren't you glad? Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

**Chapter 35**

I couldn't breathe. He just looked so incredibly good. Was it my imagination or was it actually possible that he got even more handsome and hotter? Even underneath the baggy, slightly big sweatshirt, I could tell that he had become much leaner, yet more muscular. He'd been working out.

I quickly dropped my gaze, turning slightly red when I felt his eyes burning a hole in me. He didn't seem embarrassed or stop himself from staring. It was as though that last month in Forks High School before I moved away had never happened. It was like he had never avoided or ignored me.

How many times had I dreamed about seeing Edward again? How many times had I imagined us getting back together? And yet, it seemed it wouldn't be easy. There was already an obstacle. My gaze flickered back to the cute girl who had barged in. It couldn't be possible that she and Edward were together.

"Come on in, Edward," Alice invited, though in a dangerous tone like she was asking him why he had brought the girl.

The girl pouted. "You're not inviting me, Alice?"

I looked from her to my friends. How did they know each other?

"Go ahead and have a seat," Rosalie said stiffly.

If the girl noticed Rose's hostility, she didn't let in on it. Happy at being invited, no matter how grudgingly, she made herself at home, squeezing in between Emmett and Jasper, and smiling flirtatiously.

I stared at her, taken aback. Couldn't she see that the boys were taken? If she and Edward had come here together, then she should stick to him, even though I wouldn't like it.

Edward moved slowly, looking as though he was oblivious to how uncomfortable his siblings and friends looked at the girl's presence. He was still staring at me as he sat next to Rosalie, across from me.

The girl grinned and thrust out her hand. "So you're Bella. I've heard so much about you. I'm Elise Taylor. Nice to meet you."

I studied her warily before taking her hand. "Pleasure, Elise." Her bubbly attitude was so blunt and cute at the same time that I found that I couldn't exactly hate her. I wanted to so much, but she brightened up my usually dark and calm self, much like Alice's influence on me.

"So, Elise," I said conversationally. "How do you know the gang?"

Was it just my wishful thinking, or did Edward looked slightly hurt at my apparent indifference toward him?

"Oh, I came to Forks High during our senior year," Elise chirped. "I was like, so new and lost on my first day. And then, I met Edward here, who took me under his wing." She threw Edward a fond look that he didn't return. He didn't even look at her, but she didn't seem to mind. She seemed used to it, in fact.

"Really?" I asked, sounding interested. He was still watching me like a hawk, watching my reaction carefully with narrowed eyes. Suspiciously.

"Of course, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper had already graduated and were freshmen here at UW, so I didn't meet them until winter break, when Carlisle and Esme invited me over for dinner."

Alice and Emmett looked at me quickly. I tried not to feel hurt that my pseudo parents had invited some random girl over. "I see."

"They miss you," Elise told me promptly.

My throat tightened, but I gulped it down. "I miss them too. How are they?" I asked, turning to Alice.

"It's like she said," Alice said, mentioning Elise with distaste. "They miss you."

"I'll call them tonight," Emmett said softly. "They'll be happy to hear you're back and attending college with us."

I didn't understand why everyone except Edward and I had a problem with Elise. While I hated the fact that she seemed together with someone I loved, it was hard to hate her.

"So, Bella," Elise gushed. "Where'd you live in Florida?"

Edward glanced at her this time, annoyance detected in his green eyes. "Elise, give it a rest."

She ignored him and continued to stare at me in fascination.

"Jacksonville," I answered, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"What's in Jacksonville?" she wondered.

Okay. Now, I could see why she irked the others so much. I could also see that Edward, too, got irritated with her easily. She talked too much and asked questions in a way that made the other person uncomfortable. I felt like she was interrogating me so she could use the information against me.

"My parents," I said, my tone slightly flat now. Rose gave me a look of approval, having caught my tone.

"Oh, yeah, your parents divorced," Elise stated bluntly that made me want to slap her.

Emmett nudged her as inconspicuously as he could, but it wasn't that hard to notice because Elise gave a loud, "Ow!". Emmett looked embarrassed.

"Yes, my parents are divorced," I said, softly now. The subject of my parents' divorce was a touchy subject for me, and I always grew sad when I talked about it.

Apparently, Elise had a conscience because she looked guilty. "Oops. Sorry. I didn't mean to sound so…" She trailed off, looking awkward. She turned to Edward. "Edward, will you take me bowling tonight?" She looked hopeful.

"No," Edward answered without missing a beat. "And quit asking me. You've been asking me that for weeks."

She pouted. "Please?"

He sighed. "Go with your girlfriends. I'm sure they can entertain you better than I can."

Elise looked disappointed. "But my friends suck at bowling. You're the only one who could go against me and actually win. You can make two, three strikes in a row!"

My eyes flickered to Edward, slightly accusing. He'd taken her bowling before? I'd thought I was the only he ever took.

Edward looked uncomfortable at my stare.

"Is anyone else hungry?" Jasper asked, trying to ease the tension. Always the peace maker. "Let's go eat at the cafeteria, eh? We can catch up while we're eating."

* * *

It turned out, we couldn't catch up while we were eating either, because Elise decided to try to feed Edward halfway through lunch. This made everything more awkward, and I grew quieter, keeping my eyes on my plate.

I felt like hitting something. I didn't like that this girl was so attached to Edward. I was actually jealous of her.

Thankfully, Edward kept slapping her hand away when she tried to feed him bits of ham or gravy. He turned his head away when she poked a grape with her fork and tried to make him eat it.

Alice and Rosalie threw her deathly glares that she didn't notice. Emmett and Jasper tried to make conversations to no avail. And I just kept eating without making any eye contact while Edward kept glancing at me, thinking that I wasn't noticing.

Finally, Alice got so annoyed that she snapped, "Can you stop? Like, _seriously_. We're trying to eat here. I mean, I don't even do that with Jazzy."

Elise looked embarrassed. "Sorry." She ate the pineapple on her fork. Her eyes flickered to me. "Bella! I almost forgot you were here! Are you always this quiet?"

Was I? I was trying to think when Rosalie answered for me. "Yes, she doesn't talk unless absolutely necessary, unlike you. Now shut up and eat."

Emmett nudged her, but Elise didn't take offense. In fact, she seemed to take it as a joke and laughed. "Oh, Rosalie, you're so funny."

At that moment, she got a call on her cell phone, and she chirped, "Talk to me." She brightened. "Adam! Oh, good, you're here? Okay, I'll be right there!"

Was she two-timing Edward?

Elise hopped off the bench and took her tray. "See you later, guys! Bye, Edward. It was nice meeting you, Bella." She winked before dumping her tray and flouncing out of the cafeteria.

I took an exasperated sip of my water and glared pointedly at Alice, who was sitting next to me, for an explanation.

Alice sneaked a glance at Edward, who was sitting in front of her, before saying, "Adam's her boyfriend."

I raised my eyebrow. "Is that hard for you, Edward?"

Edward paused in the act of sipping his water, looking embarrassed. He did seem taken aback that I was finally talking to him, but he had no idea how to respond back to me.

I hadn't meant to sound so mean, but I couldn't help it. I felt betrayed and hurt. Even if he had rejected me a year ago, he still shouldn't be doing this in front of me.

"Bella, you're misunderstanding," Rosalie protested, but I got up, taking my tray.

"I've got a lot of unpacking to do," I said shortly before walking away after dumping my tray. I tried to keep the tears from appearing.

**Edward's Point of View**

How was it possible that she looked even more beautiful? Her curves were more noticeable in all the right places, and her chest seemed more pronounced. She had no makeup on as usual, but she still looked like a goddess. _God_.

I couldn't stop staring at her like an idiot. The way she blushed when she noticed I was looking…

Silently, I cursed myself for bringing Elise with me. She had begged me to come with me so she could finally see Bella, but I should've protested harder. Her presence had just made everything more awkward.

Elise had just moved to town, and she had looked so lost, looking for the gym. I had been tempted to just keep walking like I would normally do, but my thoughts had flashed to Bella. Bella and her kindness, always lending others a helping hand.

I'd missed her so much that I'd felt I was going insane. So I decided to help Elise, just so that I could feel that Bella had been real, and not a dream. So I knew that I hadn't been dreaming my entire life.

I quickly grew close to Elise. She was a friend and nothing more. I found her annoying at times, but I liked her because she kept me company. I'd felt lonely when Bella had left. And though Elise could never be enough to fill up my loss, she had helped me to endure.

Elise wasn't interested in me either. At first, she had been, confessing her feelings and asking me to be her boyfriend. I'd turned her down, wishing to remain friends, and she'd ruefully agreed, though she didn't refrain from acting affectionate in public. Besides, she had an extremely protective boyfriend, Adam, who only approved of my friendship with her because he had known me for years. He knew that I loved only Bella.

* * *

**AN: So...what'd you think about Elise? I think she's pretty interesting. Her presence is enough to annoy Bella, anyhow. Leave me lots of love and reviews!**


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